Into the Fire
by samrenee2010
Summary: Mash/Mabastian Modern Day AU: Bash is the head of security of his A-List actor father's estate and Mary is the socialite fiancee of his half-A-List-brother. When Mary's life is put in danger at a party, Bash is given the daunting task of being her personal body guard, and the proximity causes them to grow, perhaps, a little too close.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 01. – **BABY, THEN WATCH ME

_- BASH -_

It was my job to just stand there. Scan the party goers and make sure nothing was off. We had a security detail outside in full force but nothing was ever guaranteed no matter how good my team was. I heard nothing suspicious in my earpiece which was a good sign. Should anything come up, I'd get to move from my spot in the back corner of the yard. For now, I stood with my arms crossed, scanning the crowd.

I was only partly born into this world. Fancy parties, money, glamor. My father, Henry Valois, was as A-List as they came in the acting world: six Oscars, three Golden Globes, one Emmy, and even a Grammy believe it or not. My mother, Diane, was just 'some tramp' (as Catherine liked to call her) whom he had a one night stand with and… well, here I am. My parents' on-going affair wasn't a secret to Catherine Medici-Valois, my father's wife, but for some reason she still clung to him for dear life. Catherine was hardly my step-mother. More like some cruel bitch I had to endure for most of my life. My father didn't even know about me until I was three. He took us in when I was seven and my mother was struggling to make ends meet.

With my father's help and money, I was able to finish school two years earlier than I should have. I'm only twenty-two, but I graduated from college two and a half years ago and now I'm the head of my father's security team. Father's away in Prague right now, filming a new movie, and Catherine's… well, doing whatever it is she does. She's a high class fashion designer. She's probably in Paris or something. I have no idea. Mother's with my father right now. For all intents and purposes, everyone knows Diane Poitiers in the business as a 'socialite.'

So, that begged the question for those who wonder—who's party is going on right now at our Malibu beachfront villa?

Well that would be my half-brother, Francis'. Francis is Catherine's son with Father. They actually have four children. Francis is the oldest, though technically I'm the oldest son Henry has, and then there's Elizabeth (the only daughter), Charles, and Henry III. (My father is Henry II, and Francis is actually Francis II. Our paternal grandfather's name was also Francis.)

Francis got lucky in the same arena my father did. At first he was just some punk rich kid that got into all kinds of trouble and involved in tabloid scandals. Then when he was sixteen he decided to try his hand at acting—instant praise. He didn't have any big awards yet but I doubted it would be long before he was giving an acceptance speech at the Oscars.

It was no secret that Francis threw a big blowout whenever Father was away. That was at least ten to fifteen times a year. In the past, these parties always ended in disaster… that _was_ until about two years ago, right after I graduated from college, and Father got sick of the bullshit in the tabloids. Francis had been ruining not only his own reputation, but Father's as well.

So here I was… standing guard in the back yard, making sure nothing went wrong.

No one actually knows I'm Henry's bastard son. I was given my maternal grandmother's maiden name, (don't ask), Granger, to keep me 'safe' in the public eye. For the most part, it's been nice but there's always a part of me that's jealous that my brothers and sister get to enjoy the wealth while I stand in the corner like a statue.

Normally I'm really good at keeping my focus. But tonight there's a problem.

It's nothing that the security team should be concerned about… yet. I, however, just can't take my eyes off it for more than two seconds at a time. Or… maybe I should say _her_.

Mary Stuart, Francis' fiancée, and all around socialite. She was born into this world but she comes from old money, whereas _my_ families' wealth came from my father's successful acting career, which eventually branched out to directing and producing, tripling his profits. I'm almost afraid one day the wealth will be gone. But even in that respect, that's why I have a college degree in Business.

It's never bad to have a backup plan.

Getting stuck in the security business mostly came from two things: A) my interest of it as a child, always asking questions to my father's bodyguards, and B) my father insisting on keeping me close to home _and_ making sure I keep an eye on my brother. No matter how much he adores Francis, he can never truly trust him.

Although it's night like tonight when I'm glad I'm here, because it leaves me free to watch Mary. Mary's been with Francis for as long as anyone can remember. They were practically engaged in the womb, since her mother, Marie, was a co-star of my father's in a movie he did early on in his career. Mary's father, James, was the director of that movie. The Stuarts used their 'old money' to start their own production business back in the fifties. It only made them wealthier.

Mary, herself, was not much of an actress. She really had no other talent than getting drunk in public and the occasional flipping the photogs the bird. In private—kind of like right now—she was known for still getting drunk and usually shedding her clothes.

It was… _part _of the reason I couldn't take my eyes off her right now.

The other half of it was I was afraid she might get so drunk, she'd fall into the pool and drown. Mary practically lived here and I was known to watch her in the pool from time to time. She was always on blow up lounge toy working on her tan and refused to actually get wet in the water. It kind of defeated the purpose, but I'd grown to tolerate uppity girls like that. For some reason, when it came to Mary, I found it oddly attractive.

Mary was surrounded by her group of girlfriends while she sat on Francis' lap, dress half off at this point and her bra completely visible. I knew we'd come to the point of the evening when she needed to get cut off, but I had no say in the matter. Her girlfriends Lola, Greer, Aylee, and Kenna, were continuously feeding her shots of tequila and anything else they could get their hands on from the bar. I was pretty sure I—along with the rest of my security team—were the only ones here A) not drinking and B) over twenty-one, the legal drinking age in the United States. I might have been wrong—there were probably a few legal ones here. But I knew most of these people… _very few_ of them were actually legal.

Francis is two years younger than me. Elizabeth is a year younger than him. Charles and Henry are both very young. They're with their mother, wherever she is, but Elizabeth is also here tonight with her new husband, Philip. Nineteen and married. It seemed ridiculous to me. But Mary and Francis were supposed to be getting hitched soon…apparently whenever Father returned from filming. Catherine had been trying to put off the wedding for some time now because she thought Mary was just a gold digging tramp like my mother. However, I think sometimes Catherine forgets that Mary's family is much more wealthy than the Valois and Medici families combined.

The irony is not lost upon me.

My ears start to hurt, mainly from the fact that I'm right next to the DJ booth and the speaker is right in front of me. It could be worse—_I _could be in front of _it_, but it's still just as bad. I recognize the song playing and try my best to subtly mouth along since it's one of my favorites.

I take my eyes off Mary for a few moments as one of my team members comes over to me with an update. Things are well, as they should be. Since I started taking over the security details, we've never had problems come from the outside. _Inside_ however… well those are easily detained, but not preventable.

Hence the reason I started mentally kicking myself…

I heard a scream and then the sound of water, like someone had just fallen into the pool. I was right. I wasn't even the least bit surprised to find out that I was also right when I found it was Mary who was screaming in the water, in the deep end—ten feet—and splashing around for help.

. . .

A/N: Chapter 02 coming soon. Song featured in this chapter, _Meteor_ by Simon Curtis. Please review! :]


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 02. – **LIKE I'M IN THE TWILIGHT ZONE

_- BASH - _

I knew something was wrong when Mary went under. The others thought she was just struggling to get out but I knew better. She came back up, gasping for air and then went under again. This time… it felt a little off. I threw off my jacket and pulled out my earpiece as I ran to the pool. Diving in after her, I found myself struggling a little bit with the fabric of my nice clothes holding me back but I grabbed her and pulled her up. Two of the members of my team came to help pull her out of the water. I pulled myself up on the edge and told them to get out of the way. After I performed CPR, she spat up the water in her mouth and out of her nose. Something in her eyes told me this wasn't from being drunk.

"Mary," I said, tapping the side of her face. She was half there, half not. "Mary, can you hear me?" Francis came to the side and bent down, and many other people started crowded around. "Everyone take a step back, she needs space," I ordered. "Now!"

Just then, there was a crash. The sound of shattering glass made me jump. I turned to see Kenna had fallen unconscious as well.

After checking her, finding she was still breathing, I looked at the glass she was holding in her hands. There was a residue on the edges where it had been tipped over. I picked it up and examined it. I knew what this was. I'd been trained to look out for it. "They've been drugged."

.

We cleared out the party after doing a sweep. The drugs Mary and Kenna had been dosed with were from Francis' stash upstairs so we hadn't missed anyone coming in. But that also begged the question of who went into Francis' room and stole them, and why. Also… why did Francis have drugs in his room?

Kenna had taken a drink from Mary's glass, which was why she was drugged as well. The intended target had been Mary. We had paramedics rush to the house and check them both out. They woke up when the medics were checking them. The dose had been strong enough to knock them out, but not to keep them out for long. Kenna's was much lower than Mary's.

Because of the ambulances spotted outside, the paparazzi soon followed. Within twenty minutes I'd gotten a call from Father who was this close to tearing my head off. Of course this was my fault. I should have made sure no one was allowed to go upstairs. Guests were usually restricted to the first floor. Everything else was private.

I stood in the corner, on my phone and listening to my father bitch and rant on the other end, while Francis tended to Mary, and Lola, Greer, and Aylee aided Kenna. Both girls were declared fine and ordered to keep fluids going in them to get the drug completely out of their system. Water was the safest bet.

After awhile, everything calmed down. Father was officially on his way back from Prague and I was going to have my ass handed to me on a silver platter, even more so than it already had been. I supposed I deserved it. But I wasn't perfect in this job. I couldn't check everything at once. The new shift of guys from the team came in, allowing the others to go home. I stayed, however, not ready to go back to my apartment. I'd moved out after high school and I had my own place downtown.

I decided to make myself something to eat once everyone else was asleep in the house. Mary and Francis were passed out in his room. Lola, Kenna, Greer, and Aylee were sprawled out in the upstairs living room. All the doors and windows were guarded, so I made my way to the kitchen. I was starving at this point. I hadn't eaten anything since two o'clock yesterday afternoon. It was now midnight.

The first thing I found was eggs and decided to make an omelet. As I was dicing up veggies to put in it, I heard a noise to the side. I turned and looked.

.

_- MARY -_

I felt like crap. Whoever drugged me had done a damn good job. Sneaking into Francis' room was clever, and I knew that my life was in danger. I had a lot of enemies… my family was powerful and wealthy enough to have them. Right now my biggest enemy was my future mommy-in-law-to-be. Catherine and I didn't see eye to eye. She thought I was just some rich slut trying to extend my wealth. I could say the same of her. The way I see it, she seduced Henry into marrying her to become more wealthy than the Medici's already were. Having four kids though? Francis, yes, I understand. But how did she manage to get him into bed to produce Libby, Charlie, and little Henry? It made no sense.

I suspected someone was working with Catherine to get me out of the picture. I had no idea who, but Catherine wanted me gone. She didn't like the idea of me marrying her son. I'd been with Francis since I was born. Our parents—or rather my parents and his father—were friends and decided it would be a good match. Yeah, it was an arranged marriage but I'd grown to care for Francis. Was I really supposed to know what _love_ was at twenty, almost twenty-one, years old? Probably not. So I was always cautious in saying that I was in love with Francis…because right now, I'm not even sure.

Francis and I retired to his room after the party and I soon fell asleep. I had a bad habit of tossing in my sleep, and on occasion I fell off the bed. That happened tonight. Thankfully Francis knew about this and had pillows and blankets surrounding his bed to break my fall. I hurt my elbow when I landed and rubbed it. I was accident prone. Nothing I could actually help.

Sleep wasn't going to come back easily to me, so I got up and left my sleeping fiancé in his room. I quietly snuck past the upstairs living room where my girls were asleep. I felt bad that Kenna had become a victim too. She wasn't the intended target. Only _my_ drink had been poisoned. She had no idea of knowing it would hurt her too. The important thing, I supposed, was that we were still alive.

After going down the stairs, I smelled something cooking. The light in the kitchen was on, so I quietly walked in that direction. As I entered I found Bash, Francis' half-brother. He was the one who pulled me out of the water tonight. I suppose he was just doing his job. He's the head of security after all.

"Are you alright, Miss Stuart?" he asked, putting down the knife he was using to cut up onions and bell peppers on the cutting board just about twenty feet away from me.

I shook my other thoughts off and grinned, nodding several times. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just can't sleep very well. I… fell off the bed again."

Bash chuckled. "Francis might have to put railings alongside his bed if you keep doing that." He looked back to his work and picked up the knife.

Going to the table, I said, "Perhaps." I pulled out a chair and sat down, watching him dice veggies like a pro. "How do you do that without cutting off your finger?"

He didn't look at me when he answered. "Very carefully. It took a lot of practice and a lot of Band-Aids and Neosporin before I got it right."

I stayed silent, watching him continue to chop the food up and then dump it into a measuring cup which had eggs already inside of it. He then progressed to sprinkle some cheese in the cup. "Who taught you how to cook?"

"I did," he said, still not looking at me. "I had to learn to fend for myself when I moved out. Not like I wasn't already doing that when I lived here but…."

Bash had never gotten star treatment even under this roof. I remember never once seeing him at the dinner table for the elegant parties Catherine and Henry threw, nor was he ever actually around to begin with. I know Henry spent time with him like any father would with his son, but he treated him much differently than he did Francis. Francis had everything handed to him. Bash had to work for it. Although, if I remembered correctly, Henry helped pay for his schooling.

When he dumped the contents of the measuring cup into the pan, I heard the sound of sizzling and popping and knew the eggs were beginning to cook. It smelled amazing. I'd never really spoken to Bash before. He always seemed very nice. I could tell he didn't always approve of my choices but he never said a word like other people did. Everyone else liked to throw in their two cents about how I needed to grow up and act like an adult instead of a wild party animal. But they didn't get to decide what I did.

"Thank you," I said.

Finally, he turned and looked at me. "For what?" he asked, a little confused.

"Saving me. Pulling me from the water."

A small grin crossed his lips. "Just doing my job, Miss Stuart."

"Please, don't call me Miss Stuart. It's so formal. And you're going to be my brother-in-law one day. You might as well call me Mary."

The grin grew a bit wider. "Very well then… Mary." He looked back to the stove and sprinkled some salt and pepper into the pan. I was about to look away but he looked back. "Are you hungry?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No I'm fine, thank you." He nodded and went back to looking at the stove. "Do you have any idea what might have happened?" I asked.

Bash opened the cupboard beside him and pulled out a plate. "Just the obvious right now… someone snuck into Francis' room when no one was looking and got drugs out of his secret stash. Somehow they slipped them into your drink when you weren't looking. Did you get your drinks from the bar yourself?"

"No," I answered, "the wait staff brought them around." So it could have been anyone. That much was clear.

"Father's on his way back, so he'll want a full investigation done," he told me. "For now I advise that you stay here. If you need to more clothes or anything from your place, I'd suggest sending one of your friends to get them, accompanied by one of the security guards."

I nodded. "Someone's trying to hurt me, aren't they? They're trying to kill me?"

Bash turned around. I could tell he was struggling with his words. "I don't… think we should go there just yet. But someone tried to harm you and we're going to find out who." His omelet had finished, so he slipped it onto the plate and turned off the stove. He joined me at the table.

"My family has a lot of enemies," I said. "I have enemies within Francis' family. Mostly the Medici side but… still, I'm not safe even within these walls."

"Well I'm not your enemy," he said. "I'll make sure no harm comes to you. Otherwise Francis and my father might have my head."

A smirk crossed my lips out of pure instinct. "Well we wouldn't want that to happen would we?" He laughed and took a bite of his food. I reached out and took the fork from his hand.

"Hey," he said and watched me as I took part of the omelet and put it in my mouth. "Now I thought you weren't hungry."

My smirk grew wider and I swallowed the food. "I'm not. I just wanted to test your creation."

"And?" he fished for an answer of approval or otherwise.

"You pass," I said, handing the fork back to him. He took it, laughing, and shook his head.

.

_- BASH - _

Father returned that afternoon. I ended up getting about two hours of sleep on the downstairs couch after staying up with Mary in the kitchen. Our first real conversation lasted about two and a half hours. During that time she asked me to teach her how to make an omelet. She was terrible at it, but I didn't expect any less from someone who'd never touched a pan before in their life. But it was a good first step.

I didn't fall asleep until four-thirty in the morning. By six-thirty I was awake and exhausted. All I wanted to do was sleep but it wouldn't come back to me. So I rose and quickly went to take a shower in my old bathroom. The villa staff arrived during that time and started on breakfast for everyone. I went there and made something for myself before taking it up to the security room and going over the tapes with the guards who'd been studying them all night.

By the time Father arrived, we had nothing. Only Francis, Mary, Kenna and Elizabeth had been in Francis' room all day, along with the maid who was already gone by the time the party started last night. Father wasn't happy. He wanted answers that I didn't have.

"Bash," he said, "get Mary and Francis downstairs right now."

I didn't know where he was going with this…but I did as he requested.

. . .

A/N: Normally chapters won't be updated this quickly but I was on a roll today. :] Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 03. – **ONLY IF YOU TOLD ME TO

_- MARY - _

When Bash came to Francis and I, it left us curious as to what Henry wanted. We followed him downstairs from Francis' bedroom and met him in the living room. Henry was standing behind the lounge chair and from his stance I could tell his hands were behind his back. He didn't look very happy. I wasn't surprised, and I don't think Francis was either.

"Sit down," he ordered all of us. Francis and I sat on the loveseat, and Bash took the left edge of the couch. Henry came out from around the lounge chair and said, "Francis… would you like to explain to me why there were drugs in your room?"

Francis looked panicked but tried not to show it. I knew his demeanor by now for everything. How was he going to get out of this one? "I… Father—"

"Well?! Don't bullshit around the answer, Francis, be straight with me. If your mother knew she'd kill you! You know what drugs have done to people in this family!" _I _did. Francis' uncle died of a drug overdose.

My fiancé looked ashamed. He bowed his head and said, "Forgive me, Father. I'm sorry. I know better."

"Do you?" Henry challenged. He didn't believe Francis for one minute, and I knew he shouldn't.

But I couldn't let him take the blame. "Henry, part of it was my fault. Kenna brought them, and Greer brought some too. I didn't think they could be used to—"

He held up a hand. "Mary, you don't have to defend him. He's got to take responsibility for his own actions."

"It's true, Henry, I'm not lying for him."

Henry looked at me. His hands were both back behind his back again. "I have to teach my son a lesson. He's got to keep his reputation clean, otherwise he'll be _disowned_." He looked back at Francis, who was still looking down. "And I'm sure he doesn't want that, does he?" Francis only shook his head.

I looked over at Bash who was looking at his father. I licked my lips—something I did when I was nervous—and looked back at Francis.

"Bash," Henry said. "You also need to learn a lesson from this. You're slacking in your job and that's unacceptable. So I'm going to give you the greatest responsibility you've ever had in your life. You're going to be Mary's personal body guard."

_What?!_ There was no way I heard that right.

"I've already spoken with her mother," Henry continued. "She'll stay at your place. You'll keep an eye on her twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week until further notice. And more important," he said, looking now at me and Francis, "your wedding is hereby postponed until you've all learned your lessons and we've figured out who tried to harm Mary. You'll also stay away from one another as a bonus."

Francis' head shot up. "You want to save yourself some time? Start with Mother!"

"Your mother's not here, Francis. She's in Paris with Charlie and Henry."

It didn't take a genius to know that with a simple call, Catherine could have had someone do her dirty work _for_ her. Actually she was notoriously known for it. Catherine Medici had destroyed careers using third parties and they always made sure it never got back to her. But those in the inner circle knew better. So did people on the internet but that was a different story…

"And even _if_ she had something to do with this, she wouldn't have called me last night at all hours asking if Mary was alright and if you were as well."

_That_ was shocking. "She did?" I asked.

Henry nodded. "I know my wife can be a liar and a sneak, but she had nothing to do with this. So this arrangement still stands. Bash will accompany Mary to her home to collect anything she needs and she'll be staying with him. My son won't be influenced by drugs and until he can learn to say no, you and your friends won't be allowed around here."

Bash piped up. "Father, what of the security detail around _here_ that I'm responsible for?" It was a legitimate question. If he was supposed to be protecting _me_ and _I _wasn't allowed around here, how was he going to do this part of his job?

"Robert will take over," he answered. "Your top priority is protecting Mary. If anything should happen to her, it's on _you_."

.

_- BASH - _

Well that wasn't…_exactly_ what I was expecting. I guess it could have been worse, but it also could have been a lot better. We all could have been reprimanded. Well… at least Francis and I. I don't know where Father gets off trying to pretend he's Mary's father. He isn't. Not yet anyway. And even when she married Francis, he'll on be her father-in-law. That's not the same thing as a father.

Per my orders, I drove Mary to her place in a more lavish area of Malibu. The villas over in this area weren't on the water, but close enough that you could walk there. I accompanied her inside. This was the first time I'd ever been in her place. So while she packed, I looked around. This place was much bigger than the Valois Villa. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. The Stuarts, after all, were much more rich than my family.

Everything was bright in the Stuart Villa. There wasn't a dark color to be found, unless it was accompanied by a light color. Blue seemed to be the theme in most of the decorations. There were a few whites and light grays, along with some pink here and there. I could tell—just by knowing what I did about her—that Mary did _not_ design this place, nor did she decorate it. This was all Marie's doing. Her mother had a knack for things like that. Mary… well… I wasn't even sure what Mary's talent was.

I made my way up the grand staircase, looking around from above. It was all open floor and there were actually so few things in such a big space. Surely the Stuarts could afford to put a few more things in here. They had the money, after all.

I found myself in Mary's room. She'd just finished packing when I entered. My eyes widened when I saw how many suitcases she had. There had to be at least ten. "Really?" I asked. "_All_ of that? You know I have a washer and dryer."

She looked confused. "A what and a what?"

Right. "Never mind. Come on, let's get these down to the car."

It took a few trips but we finally got it all in there. The drive to my place wasn't far. I called a couple of my neighbors to come down and help us out. It took one trip between all of us to get everything into my apartment. I thanked my neighbors and shut the door after they left, locking it behind me.

Mary was looking around my small apartment much like I'd been looking around her large villa. Two different worlds, we were from, though technically I had one foot in. I wasn't sure I wanted it there, but I really had no choice. I was born into it… for the most part. "So um…" I started, "I don't have another bed. So you can sleep in mine and I'll take the couch."

"Nonsense," she said. "It's your place. I wouldn't make you sleep on the couch."

That was surprisingly nice of her. "I don't mind, really. Besides, a woman shouldn't sleep on the couch. And I'll make sure we get a bed in here for you tomorrow or the day after."

She nodded. "Okay. If you insist. But I really don't mind sleeping on the couch."

I smiled. "Well you're not gonna win this argument."

"Fair enough," she said, smiling herself. She sat down on the couch and opened one of her bags up. She'd insisted on carrying that one in herself. It had sounded like there was glass rattling around in there.

I was right. She pulled out a bottle of vodka, and there had to be at least four other bottles of booze in there… tequila, whiskey, another of vodka, and stuff to make margaritas.

"Um… you know I keep liquor in my place right?" After that came out of my mouth, I realized that was probably a stupid thing to say. Mary had never been to my place before. Hell, she didn't even _know_ me.

She popped open the bottle of vodka and said, "No, but now we don't have to go through yours. We can just use mine."

"Let me guess…," I started, walking closer to the couch so I was now standing on the side, "one of those suitcases has a margaritas maker in it?"

"At least you're observant," Mary said after she laughed. "I guess _you_ inherited that trait from Henry." I had to laugh at that. Francis, in truth, was not the most observant person in the world. "Come on, join me," she said and patted the spot next to her on the couch.

I went over and sat down. She pulled out two shot glasses from another case which, as it turned out, had a margarita maker in it. I took one of the glasses which she handed to me and she poured the liquor in like a pro. "You know you're not supposed to corrupt me right? Technically I work for you. I'm not your friend."

She pouted. "Oh, Bash, and here I thought we _were_ friends." She downed the shot in two seconds and grabbed the bottle again. "Well, we might not know each other very well, but this is one way we can get to."

"By getting drunk on straight tequila?" I asked.

"Absolutely," she said, pouring herself another shot.

"You know, for someone who's been forbidden to see her fiancé until further notice, you're taking this quite well." I had to say, it was a bit odd.

Mary took the other shot and then put the glass down. "Oh, we have a plan for that. Francis and I won't be kept apart long. You'll see." She looked at me. "Now are you gonna drink that on your own free will or do I have to give you a direct order?" I shook my head with a small, amused chuckle and threw my head back, bringing the shot with it. She was smirking when I sat back up right. "Let the games begin…"

...

A/N: On a roll again. Probably won't update again today. Lots of homework to do for school. (Yay college, -barf-) Hope you enjoyed! Please review! :]


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 04. – **I SMELL T-R-O-U-B-L-E

_- BASH - _

I knew how to control my liquor intake. Eventually I had to carry Mary into the bedroom and tuck her in. She was so hammered, and so familiar, that I didn't even find it funny anymore. At first, maybe. But after knowing her for so long and seeing her like this so many times, it almost became annoying. She was a beautiful girl with a lot of potential. In what, I actually didn't _know_ but there had to be _something_ she was good at besides drinking booze and taking her clothes off. I was surprised _Playboy_ hadn't called for a pictorial with her yet. Not that—…I'd actually _look _at it.

Sleep didn't come easy to me again. I was paranoid about something happening to Mary. After about twenty minutes of lying on the couch, I got up and started pacing around the apartment. Mary slept peacefully from what I could tell. I couldn't help but watch her. I felt like such a stalker, but she was so mesmerizing sometimes.

Before I knew it, Mary was shaking me awake. I was sleeping upright against the wall outside my bedroom door. I stirred and rubbed my eyes, wondering what the hell happened. Had I _really_ fallen asleep outside the door? "Oh hey," I said to Mary.

"Good morning, sunshine. I'd ask if you slept well, but I don't think it's very comfortable sleeping against a wall." She laughed and held out a hand to help me up. I took it and slowly stood to my feet. "So listen… I need a favor."

The first thing that crossed my mind was last night when she said that she and Francis wouldn't be kept apart for long. I had a bad feeling about it. "Okay well ask me after I've had my first cup of coffee." I turned and went into the kitchen. She followed me and I turned on the Keurig my mother had bought me to get the coffee started.

One cup later, Mary brought it up again. So I agreed to listen. "Okay," she said. "So I need you to take me to the hotel downtown."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because Francis and I—"

I held up a hand. "Okay stop right there." I didn't need to know the nitty gritty details of their sex life and how they were still going to find ways to hook up despite my father's orders. "Fine. What time?"

"Noon."

It was eight-thirty right now, so we had a few hours. "Alright. But first I wanna see about getting a bed in here for you so I can have my room back."

Mary said, "Aww, poor baby. Away from his bed one day and it's already killing him."

"Shut up," I said and took a drink of my second cup of coffee, making her laugh.

.

At Noon I was sitting in my car outside the hotel downtown Malibu where Mary had gone inside. I'd called a few guys from my team to go into the hotel and keep an eye on the area where Mary and Francis were. We'd gotten a bed into the apartment and rearranged my office room to be a bedroom for Mary. It was a lot smaller than she was used to, but she didn't say anything.

While I was sitting outside the hotel, my phone rang. It was Father. I slid my finger across the screen and put it up to my ear. "Hello?"

"So what would you say if I told you your team discovered footage missing from the surveillance system?" Father asked on the other end.

That wasn't what I was expecting to hear. "Are you sure? We ran over that footage over a dozen times and everything was in order."

"Well apparently you missed it because I just had Stacy look at it and she found a glitch. Whoever erased it was damn good at making it look like it blended together."

Stacy was our IT girl and she was the best there was. So I wasn't surprised in _that_ respect that she found something we all had missed. It was why we kept her on payroll. She was always useful, especially in these situations. "About how much?"

"Hard to say," Father answered. "Maybe three to five minutes at the absolute most. Different cameras have different time stamps missing. Whoever it was erased all of the footage of their venture into Francis' room."

"Only my team has access to the surveillance room," I told him, which he already knew. "No one else would have been able to erase that footage."

"Then it sounds like someone on your team is responsible for this."

That gave me a bad feeling. Four of my guys were in there right now… all four of whom had been at the party that night. "Shit," I said. "Father, I'll have to call you back." I hung up and got out of the car, running inside the hotel.

There were so many people inside, I didn't even know where to start. I decided to skip the elevator and ran straight for the stairs. Mary told me the room she and Francis would be in was on the ninth floor. Fantastic. I found one of my team members on the sixth floor and told him to help find the other guys. I had to make sure they were all accounted for.

Three floors later I found two of the other three just doors away from Mary and Francis' room. That left one unaccounted for. "Where's Hugo?" I asked, nearly out of breath.

"He said he was going to check the security room," one of the guys told me.

"Fuck!" I exclaimed and headed in that direction.

I felt like I was going to die by the time I got to the security room. Only hotel guards were there. Hugo was nowhere to be found. "Has anyone come in here?" I asked the guys at the monitors.

"No, sir. No suspicious activity either in the hotel or outside Mr. Valois' room." The guard was telling the truth. So Hugo couldn't have come here and paid him off.

Just then there was a voice behind us. "What's going on?"

It was Hugo. I turned around, seeing him standing in the doorway. "Where the hell were you?"

"Checking the entrance ways," he answered.

"I was told you were coming _here_," I challenged, moving closer to him. I was technically his superior, even if he was older and more experienced than me. My father left me in charge for a reason, though.

"I took the long way. Four guys isn't enough to spare for this entire hotel, especially when you need two outside the room."

He had a point but I couldn't spare more than four from the villa or call any more in. We could have been so close to finding out who did this, but no. A dead end. Maybe I'd just gotten worked up for nothing. After all…this was _Mary_ we were talking about. Mary, the girl I'd known since I was a child. Mary, the woman engaged to my half-brother.

Mary, the one I couldn't stop thinking about.

.

I told Mary what happened when we got back to my place. She opened the bottle of whiskey and handed it to me. "I think you need it more than I do," she said. I just laughed, slightly amused, and took it. "So whoever tried to kill me covered all their tracks."

I still hated when she said 'kill.' We didn't know for sure someone had tried to _kill_ her. Harm, yes. Kill, no. It was _possible_, but not confirmed. In my personal opinion, someone was just trying to scare Mary away from Francis. It had to be Catherine and someone working for her. She had a reputation for destroying careers and not getting any blood on her hands. Someone else always did her dirty work. That could be the case now. "Yeah, they did," I said, though, instead of arguing about her choice of words.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't know going out would cause trouble."

Handing the bottle back to her, I said, "It's not your fault. But I can't keep borrowing guys from the villa so you and Francis can meet up in secret. You're going to have to stay apart more often than not. I know you're used to being attached at his hip, but right now things are better this way."

From the look on Mary's face, I could tell she didn't like what I said. "Have you ever had a girlfriend before, Bash?" she asked. I shook my head. Truth was, I'd never dated before. It was too dangerous for me. If I ever had to bring a girl home to meet my parents, they'd figure out I was Henry Valois' son. "Well if you did, you would know that when you're in the kind of relationship Francis and I are in, you don't willingly stay apart."

That sounded like a challenge to me. I realized I had to stop trying to be her friend and actually be her body guard like I was told. "Okay then," I said. "You wanna play it that way? We can play it that way. From now on, you don't leave this apartment. If you do, I'll tell my father and that means a longer period of time away from your precious Francis. And don't even try to sneak out when I'm asleep and come back before I wake up. I have hidden cameras all over this apartment that you'll _never_ find. And I _might_ just have a security system that goes off when turned on and a door or window opens."

Mary glared at me. "Fine," she said and stood up, holding the bottle of whiskey by the neck and turned on her heel, storming to the room where we had her things now set up. The door slammed and I heard it lock. She brought it upon herself. If anyone could have tried to harm her, the only person she was safe with was me.

...

A/N: Thanks for the reviews everyone! Keep 'em coming! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Ch. 5 is on its way! :]


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 05. – **WHERE SOUL MEETS BODY

_- MARY - _

Fuck Bash. Just… fuck him. Who does he think he is, my father?! I stormed into the room that was going to be mine for God only knew how long and slammed the door, locking it and picking up my remote for the stereo we had put in here. I had at least a dozen CDs in my massive stereo system and I decided to put it on shuffle. The very first song that comes on makes me turn the volume up all the way. I slip out of my jeans and leave myself in only my panties and my t-shirt and socks as I drink and dance around the room. This is what I do when I'm pissed. Especially when there's some eighties rock on. I can _really_ blow off some steam to that.

I'll find a way to get out of this place without Bash knowing. I'll see Francis again. Bash won't know what hit him when he finds out just how clever I am. I might be some socialite bimbo in the eyes of everyone on Earth, but deep down I know how to devise a plan.

.

_- BASH -_

At least I liked the song she decided to blare over her speakers.

I decide to get up and take a shower. Whenever I need to unwind, scorching hot water usually does the trick. So I go in my room and lock the door. Not that Mary would want to come in anyway. I'm pretty sure she'll be in her bedroom with the door locked for awhile. A few days at least. I'm almost certain she has food in her room. I don't usually allow food anywhere else but the kitchen in my apartment because—in the words of Archer—"that's how you get ants."

I _really_ need to stop watching that show. It's not healthy for me.

After I locked my door, I went into my bathroom and turned on the shower, adjusting the knob so it was just at the temperature I liked it. Since Mary's music was a little muffled and I was really in the mood for something to listen to, I opened up my music library on my phone and just let play the first thing that came up, setting my phone on the counter. I stripped down and stepped inside, jumping a little at first contact with the water. But my body quickly adjusted. The hot water helped my massage my muscles and my mind began to push away all of the stressful thoughts that currently crowded it.

.

_- MARY - _

About twenty minutes pass. I find myself out of whiskey. And since I feel like pissing Bash off the way he pissed _me_ off, I decide to go raid his liquor cabinet. I poke my head out of the bedroom door. He's not in the living room. So I hurry for the kitchen and open the cabinets until I find the one he keeps the booze in. He wasn't kidding. He was _loaded_. Guess I never expected that about Bash, but I realized there was a _lot_ I didn't know about him.

I went back to my room but I stopped in the doorway. His bedroom door—right across from mine—was closed. I went to open it. Locked. I put my ear to the door and could hear the faint sound of music and a shower going. Smirking, I pulled a bobby pin from my hair and picked the lock—something Francis taught me how to do when we were thirteen.

Once I had the door open, I quietly started snooping around his room. I hadn't taken the chance when I actually slept in here, mainly because I didn't remember getting in his bed in the first place and when I woke up the first thing I noticed was him outside the door. His room was actually pretty boring; he didn't have anything incriminating in it. Clothes. Books. CDs and DVDs. I never realized he had such a diverse taste in music. I think he had just about every Brooks & Dunn album on one shelf of his music cabinet and every Def Leppard album on another. I had to laugh when I saw Lady Gaga's three albums laying flat on top of Katy Perry, Ke$ha, and Maroon 5's albums. I found myself desperately searching for something by Justin Bieber, just to fuck with him, but to no avail. I _did_ find Hunter Hayes' album though, and while I figured that was close enough, I knew Hunter Hayes was actually talented so I had to give Bash props for having good taste in music.

His book collection consisted of a lot of college text books which I found straining to even read the names of. I knew Bash had a Bachelor's degree from UCLA. He was super smart… he'd graduated two years earlier than he should have. I was pretty sure a lot of that had to do with the fact that Henry paid for everything and it allowed him to go straight through without taking any breaks, but he also had a 3.98 GPA from what Francis had once told me. That was much more impressive than the 3.0 Francis had gotten in high school. _Much_ better than _mine_, which no one talks about.

It wasn't that I wasn't smart. I just didn't apply myself in high school. I could have graduated with straight A's but the limelight steered me in other directions. I could have gone to college too if I wanted. But I thought it was a waste of time. If I wanted a career, I could have it.

Perks of being wealthy… they were a-plenty.

I was actually surprised to find all of _The Hunger Games_ books, plus the _Divergent_ trilogy, amongst his collection. I could see a bookmark sticking out of _Allegiant_ so I knew he was almost done. Contrary to popular belief, I _did_ read and those series were two of my favorites.

Maybe Bash and I had more in common than I once thought.

That still didn't let him off the hook for trying to keep me from Francis. I _really_ wanted something to use against him. But what?

I saw something sticking out from under the bed. It was a box. A _big_ one. I knelt down and pulled it out, opening it up to find a bunch of folders. Inside, I found…and I couldn't even believe this…what looked like _manuscripts_. Bash was a _writer_?!

Oh, this was gold.

I hopped up on the bed since it didn't sound like he was getting out of the shower any time soon—and even if he was I didn't give a shit—and opened up the first one I grabbed to read. I soon realized, about one page in, that this was _his_ story. The date on it was from a few years ago, so this was probably something he wrote for college (also confirmed by the fact that it had the letters ENGL followed by an upper level class code in the header.) I thought Bash was a business major? I guess it just confirmed I _really_ didn't know as much about him as I thought.

I got about seven pages in—I was a fast reader—by the time I heard the shower shut off. Ten seconds later the music stopped. A fog of steam was pouring out of the bathroom, almost like a sauna. I'd made myself comfortable on the bed with his manuscript in hand and paid no attention even when he finally appeared in the doorway…

.

_- BASH -_

Well I was right. The shower helped me unwind and I felt completely relaxed. Maybe I'd get to sleep some tonight. I needed it. After only about three, maybe four, hours of sleep in the last forty-eight hours, it was time I caught up. I got out of the shower and turned my music off, then shook out my hair and smoothed it back. I looked at the mirror, fogged from the steam, and put my hand on it, wiping it across. I saw my reflection… and somehow I didn't even recognize myself. I was the guy who would secretly watch Mary whenever she was at the villa, doing whatever she was doing. I was the guy who was secretly mesmerized by her and had been for a few years now.

Was I keeping her here for my own selfish purposes? Or was I _really_ just following orders?

I would have liked to think that I was just following orders. But something deep down inside told me this was because—even if I wanted to deny it—I wanted Mary here, with _me_ and not with Francis. Something about her…actually _many_ somethings about her…just stuck to me. I didn't know how to explain it. I wasn't even sure what it _was_.

I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around my waist so I could go get clothes from my dresser out in the bedroom. But when I stepped into the doorway, still wrapping the towel around my waist, I about had a heart attack when I saw Mary on my bed and my box of old writings pulled out from under it, one of which was in her hand. I hadn't written anything since college. My professors said I had a knack for it, especially when it came to writing about my own life. It's why I minored in creative writing, but what the hell could I do with _that_ degree? My business degree would go farther than that _ever_ would.

All of my writing surrounded around my life…which was why I panicked. "Mary, what the hell are you doing?!" I asked, tucking in the towel around my waist and running over to snatch it out of her hands.

But Mary snatched it right back. "Oh, come on, Bash, are you afraid to let me into your deep dark world?"

Taking it back and stepping away from her before she could get it again, I said, "Get out! You have no right to come in here _snooping_ through my stuff." I dropped the manuscript in the box and kicked it under the bed.

She just laughed. "Oh, Bash, don't be such a baby. I didn't know you were a writer."

"I'm not!" I yelled. "I mean… not anymore."

"So you _used_ to be?"

"Yeah, I wrote a little in college, you know, _whatever_. Just get out!"

Mary readjusted her position on the bed so she was on her knees. "Why don't you want me to read it?"

"I don't want _anyone_ to read it. That's why it's in a box under my bed."

"Why do you still have it around? People can find it, you know."

I knew she had a point, but I was about to beat her at her own game. "I never have anyone over here, so how could they? This is _my_ room in _my_ place where only _I'm _supposed to be."

"And yet you let me sleep in here the other night?" she challenged.

Goddamn it. "Because I was being a gentleman. Apparently that's one of my worst qualities. Now get the hell out of my room."

Mary sighed. "Whatever you say Bash." She put a finger to my chest and slowly ran it down to my abdomen. "You can stop pretending, though."

I grabbed her wrist and pulled it away. "Leave. _Now_," I said in as calm of a voice as I could while being completely stern.

She licked her lips and pulled her hand through mine, plopping down on her bottom and swinging her legs over to the other side. Within seconds she was gone. I went to the door and shut and locked it. She must have picked the lock. That was the only explanation. What did I need, a fucking deadbolt on it now that she was living here? Damn Francis. Damn him for knowing how to break into things.

I went back over to the bed and knelt down, pulling out the box and picked up the manuscript she'd been reading. She hadn't gotten that far in. Good. That meant she hadn't gotten to the part about _her_. I was afraid when she'd said 'You can stop pretending' but nothing she could have read in the first few pages was incriminating. She had nothing against me. And I knew that's what she'd been looking for.

...

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Don't forget to add to your favorites. :] ... Mary is listening to _Rock You Like a Hurricane_ by Scorpions, and Bash is listening to _Soul Meets Body_ by Death Cab For Cutie. Hope you enjoyed! Chapter 06 coming soon!


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 06. – **I DO BUT I DON'T WANT HER TO STOP

_- MARY - _

I had to admit… I was a little worked up. Not in a bad way either. Honestly, Bash was… _really_ hot. Wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist, dripping wet, and also a little pissed off? And his skin was so soft! It was a _huge _turn on for me. I knew I shouldn't have been thinking about him like that since I was engaged to his half-brother, but God_damn_ I just couldn't help myself.

I understood why Bash didn't want me reading his stuff. He was a private person. His writing was really personal. But I just couldn't help myself. I'd been purposefully looking for something to hold against him. Now I had it. If I could find a way to get back into his room and get the manuscript before he burned it—which, the chances were pretty good now that he knew I knew it was there—I'd be able to find out all of his deep dark secrets.

Back in my room, I fell asleep after staying up thinking about what Bash's manuscript was about. What could possibly in there besides his sob story about how he was the bastard son of an A-list celebrity and he didn't get the star treatment like the rest of his siblings? There were so many possibilities.

When I woke up in the morning, I got out of bed and went into the kitchen to make myself some breakfast. I decided to try and scramble an egg like Bash had taught me a few nights ago. My first attempt then hadn't been very good. But practice paid off so I figured I should start now. I got the eggs from the refrigerator and found some cheese and salt and pepper to put in it. I kept the burner on low so I didn't get too ahead of myself. It was oddly quiet in the apartment, but then again it was only eight a.m. Bash was still asleep as far as I knew.

Once my egg finished, I sat down at the table to try it out. It needed a little work, but above all I thought I'd done a pretty good job. I was halfway through my breakfast when I heard a knock on the door. Getting up, I went over to the peep hole and saw a young girl standing there with what looked like text books in her hands. I removed the chain and opened the door. That's when I got a better look at her and noticed she was severely pregnant. "Can I help you?"

The girl looked a little confused. "Um… is… _Bash_ here?" she asked.

"Uh… yeah. Who are you?"

She gave a me a look. "I'm his _cousin_, Isobel. Who are _you_ and what are you doing in his apartment?"

"I'm Mary. I'm his… _assignment_." I figured that was the best way to put it.

Isobel said, "Oh. Well, can I come in. My back is killing me and my feet hurt like a motherfucker."

I stepped aside so she could come in. I locked the door and put the chain back, following Isobel into the apartment and watched her go to the living room to sit down on the couch. I went to Bash's door and knocked. "Um, Bash? Your…_cousin_… Isobel?...is here."

.

_- BASH - _

Maybe I was scarred for life but I wasn't complaining. Not completely anyway. Seeing Mary with no pants and just her panties on was actually more attractive to me than it should have been. Damn it. I needed to stop thinking about her like that. She was going to be my sister-in-law one day, and soon. Probably as soon as we figured out who tried to harm her.

Before I dressed in my boxers and sweatpants and crawled into bed, I opened my door up when I was sure she was asleep. The mattress and pillows on my bed were so comfortable, it was ridiculous. Within minutes I was asleep. I found myself dreaming of Mary… and while that scared me to death, I also knew I didn't want it to stop.

My dreams were interrupted when I heard Mary's voice loud and clear. I opened my eyes and saw her standing in the doorway, telling me that my cousin was here. Immediately, I sat up and threw the covers off. I grabbed a shirt from my dresser drawer and threw it on and I went out into the living room where my cousin was sitting. Isobel was nearly nine months pregnant and ready to pop any day now. I was constantly worried about her, especially since the father had bailed and she was doing this all on her own.

"Is, what are you doing here?" I asked, but I had to figure she was here for some peace and quiet as she was unpacking her backpack with books and notebooks and the laptop I bought her a year ago when she started college.

She didn't look at me as she responded. "It's ridiculous how loud the dorm is right now and I need to study for finals, so I'm commandeering your place."

I was never one to turn her away, so I responded, "Alright, well let me know if you need anything, okay?" She only nodded. I went to the kitchen where Mary was finishing up breakfast. It appeared she'd cooked an egg for herself. I was shocked. "While she's here, you're not allowed to blast your music at all volumes like last night. She's got to study for her finals and she doesn't need any distractions."

Mary put her plate in the dishwasher. "Okay whatever." She closed the door and walked away. I watched her go back to her room and shut the door.

After I made and ate my breakfast, I went to get dressed and got on the phone with my team at the villa. Stacy was still working on retrieving the lost footage. Whoever erased it covered all their tracks and put in the most difficult codes which rerouted to random points on the globe. Stacy was good but she wasn't good enough for this… her words, not mine.

Mary didn't come out of her room. She pretty much left Isobel alone, which was exactly what she needed. I went to the living room around Noon when I saw Isobel had raided my fridge for celery and peanut butter. Sitting down, I said, "Oh sure, just eat all my food." I was teasing her, clearly. I wasn't one to stop a pregnant woman from eating.

"Screw you, Bash," she said with her mouth full as she turned a page in her chemistry text book and looked at me. I just laughed in response. When she finished chewing and swallowed, she asked, "So what's up with the brunette broad in your apartment? Are you finally paying someone to get laid?"

"Isobel Durand!" I scolded her. She smirked. "No, Mary is under my protection right now."

As she grabbed another stick of celery, she said, "Ohh _that_ Mary. Stupid, rich bimbo Mary."

"Your words, not mine."

"Right because _your_ words would be 'hot, beautiful, and sexy.'"

"Shut up!" I said, keeping my voice quiet.

Isobel's smirk grew wider. "Lighten up, Bash. I know you don't have a chance in hell with her." She was right about that. "But seriously, it's fun to tease you when you're vulnerable like this."

I sat back completely in the chair and let out a big sigh. "She found my old writing and started reading it. I freaked out because I thought maybe she got to the part about her."

My cousin rubbed her belly after taking a bite of another celery stick. "Well," she said, chewing, "would it be so bad if she _did_?" Isobel had read my writing. She was the only person outside of my college professors that had. I never allowed anyone else to read it. Honestly, Isobel was the only person I could trust with it.

"Um, _yes_," I said.

"Come on, Bash, you've been in love with her for like… _years_."

I made a face. "I wouldn't say in _love_. More like infatuated."

She rolled her eyes. "Okay so in _lust_, whatever." She took another bite. "I know she's gonna be your sissy pretty soon, but we both know that—given the chance—you'd _totally_ snatch her up."

I wasn't in the business of stealing away my brother's girl. Truth was, I didn't think I was worthy of her. She was a rich heiress after all. And I was… well, the bastard son of a billionaire. When my father died, Francis and his full blood siblings would get everything. I wouldn't get a damn thing, despite the fact that I was the oldest child. "Maybe so, but I wouldn't intentionally take her from Francis. Plus she's my responsibility right now. I was given order to protect her. Nowhere in that description gives me the leeway to seduce her into my bed."

Isobel's lips curled up into an evil smile. "So you _would_ fuck her given the chance?"

"Screw you," I said and she laughed. "Go back to studying and cleaning out my fridge." She saluted me and looked back down to her text book. I laid back in the recliner and closed my eyes.

.

When Isobel left later that day I ordered food for Mary and I. She finally came out of her room and joined me at the table when I announced the food had arrived. Since Isobel had basically cleaned out my fridge, I knew we'd have to go out for a grocery shopping trip tomorrow. "Did Isobel get some studying done?" Mary asked as she sat down and grabbed her plate.

I nodded. "Yeah, I think she's ready for her finals."

"Good," she responded. "So listen… my birthday's coming up, and since it's my twenty-first I was supposed to have a big blowout."

Mary's birthday was December eighth. That was coming up pretty quick here. I looked at her, knowing exactly where this was going. "Do you really think that's smart?"

"You're looking for the answer 'no,' so… no. _But_ I already spoke with my mother." Of _course_ she had. "And she okayed it. It'll be at our villa and we'll have top of the line security in addition to yours of course. No one will be able to harm me."

I couldn't refuse this if Marie had already approved it. As much as I wanted to, I had to remember I couldn't control her completely. Her mother had some say in this too. "Alright. If your mother is on board, then I am too."

Mary squealed and leaned over to kiss my cheek. "Thank you thank you!"

The kiss took me off guard, but then again it was only my cheek. Not like it was my lips. I just grinned in response. "Don't thank me, thank your mother." This was all Marie's doing. I was just the person keeping an eye on her.

.

Later that night I laid in bed, looking up at the ceiling. It was after ten o'clock and I couldn't find the will to go to sleep. I thought a lot about what Isobel had said. She was right. I wanted Mary. Love might have been a strong word, like I'd pointed out, but I was definitely feeling _something_ for her. Just…._something_ about her had me drawn in.

When I had officially given up on sleep, I sat up and grabbed my remote and turned on my stereo. I kept the volume on low and started browsing through the stations. Most of them were on commercial which really pissed me off. I hated when radio stations all went on commercial at the same time.

Finally I found a country station that was starting to play a new song. I knew this song. And only just now did I realize what relevance it had to me. For the first time I actually listened closely to the lyrics and found that it perfectly described what was happening right now.

_She's a little complicated  
She'll make her mind up just to change it  
The kind of girl that keeps you waitin', waitin' around  
She likes to get her toes done bright red  
She's always reapplying her lipstick  
The muddy river bank she's the first in and last out  
She's got something I can't figure out  
That everybody's talking about_

_She's got the blue jeans painted on tight_  
_That everybody wants on a Saturday night_  
_She got the mood ring, she's never the same_  
_She's sunny one minute then she's pouring down rain._  
_And she'll do whatever she wants_  
_And when she moves every jaw's gonna drop_  
_And I do but I don't want her to stop_  
_I want, I want I want whatever she's got_  
_I want whatever she's got_

I pulled out my phone and opened my Google app to look up the lyrics to the song and read along as the next verse came on.

_Tell your mind before you thought it  
What you thought your plan was park it  
To figure out where your heart is so twisted up  
Have you spendin' every weekend  
And every penny you've been keepin'  
Just to figure out what she's thinkin' when you're thinkin' it's love_

_Cause she got the blue jeans painted on tight_  
_That everybody wants on a Saturday night_  
_She got the mood ring, she never the same_  
_She's sunny one minute then she's pouring down rain._  
_And she'll do whatever she wants_  
_And when she moves every jaw's gonna drop_  
_And I do, but I don't want her to stop_  
_I want, I want, I want whatever she's got_  
_I want whatever she's got_

_She's got me hangin' on the ledge  
On the edge of a kiss  
All I ever wanna do is this_

_She got the blue jeans painted on tight_  
_That everybody wants on a Saturday night_  
_She got the mood ring, she's never the same_  
_I want, I want, I want, I want, I want_

_She got the blue jeans painted on tight_  
_That everybody wants on a Saturday night_  
_She got the mood ring, she's never the same_  
_She's sunny one minute then she's pouring down rain_  
_And she'll do whatever she wants_  
_And when she moves every jaw's gonna drop_  
_And I do but I don't want her to stop_  
_I want, I want, I want_  
_Whatever she's got_  
_I want whatever she's got_

_She's a little bit complicated_  
_That's alright_  
_Doesn't matter I'll keep on waiting_  
_For whatever she's got_  
_For whatever she's got_

For whatever reason, when the song was over, I threw the covers off and got out of bed. I grabbed my laptop from my dresser and brought it back over to the bed, turning it on and waited for it to boot up, wishing it would hurry up; it was so damn slow. When I finally signed in and everything was ready, I opened Microsoft Word and I did something I hadn't done in years.

I started writing.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 07. – **BOY YOU'VE GOT ME BLINDED

_- MARY -_

In the morning when I woke up, Bash had breakfast delivered from a diner down the street. He asked me if I could behave myself for an hour and not try anything stupid so he could run to the grocery store to get food. Since I didn't really want to go to the grocery store—I'd never even_ been_ to one before—I promised him I'd be good. He left around ten and that left me in the apartment by

I waited about five minutes before I went to his bedroom door. He'd locked it, so I took a bobby pin out of my hair again to unlock it. But this time it didn't work. I pushed up against the door, and even slammed into it once with all my body weight and it wouldn't budge. Damn it. He was covering his tracks. That was damn start of him. I wanted to find a way to get that writing in my hands again. Without a way into the room, I was screwed.

_Screw… _that gave me an idea. I started looking around the apartment for a toolbox. Bash surely had one around here somewhere. …Unless he kept it in his bedroom, which was no help me too. I'd never even used a screwdriver before, but how hard could it be?

To my disappointment I didn't find one. I found a hammer, but that wasn't going to achieve the goal I was trying to reach. Sure, I could probably destroy the door with it, but Bash would know I'd been in his room. So I tried with the bobby pin again. I tried this for about ten more minutes before I gave up completely.

There had to be_ something_ around here that allowed me to open that door.

Bash eventually returned and I offered to help him unpack the groceries. It took about five minutes, with him guiding me as to where things went. He seemed surprised by my offer. But that was all part of my plan. To butter up to him so I could get a way into that room. When we finished, I went to the living room and watched him—without his knowledge—as he took a key from his pocket and unlocked the door. He went inside the room, leaving the door wide open.

For the rest of the day I made plans for my twenty-first birthday party, which was coming up in a week. My phone was practically attached to my ear for the next few hours. By dinner time, I was finished. Since I couldn't be there personally to oversee the set up, I had my arsenal of ladies to help. Greer, Kenna, Lola, and Aylee would surely be there to set up and make it the most amazing party ever. They knew everything I liked and what I would want at my big blowout. And really… all I had to do was show up. So I got an even better deal out of it.

After dinner, Bash got in the shower. He left his door open and I found it as the perfect opportunity to sneak back in there. I knelt down beside the bed and found the box still in its place. When I opened it, though… empty.

"What? No," I whispered. The box had _nothing_ inside of it.

I put it back and started going through the rest of his stuff. I couldn't find it anywhere. Where the hell could he have put it? There were only so many places he could put his papers where no one would see them. I was stumped. And _really_ pissed off. So I snuck back out of the room and went to my own. I needed to take a shower anyway, too. I got in and quickly washed up, trying to think about where the papers and folders could have gone. Maybe Bash had sent them through the shredder and threw them out. That would I would _never_ see them.

He seemed awfully determined to keep me away from…well, _everything_.

I got out of the shower and wrapped myself in a towel, tucking it in so it was perfectly fitted around my body, then I proceeded to wrap my hair up in one too. My phone was ringing, so I ran to answer it. It was Francis. I decided to ignore it. So I let it ring, and eventually it stopped. My mission right now was Bash and finding out what happened to his writing.

Wrapped in my towel, I went out to the kitchen to grab a knife—I needed help opening one of my products—and on my way back, I literally ran into Bash as he came out of his room. "Oh God," he said. "Sorry." He looked away from me, looking quite awkward.

I could see his cheeks turning red. That gave me a brilliant idea, just to try and get some information out of him without him realizing he was revealing anything. "No problem," I said. "I've seen you in nothing but a towel. Only fair you do the same with me." I smirked.

"Uh… sure. I guess." He was trying so hard not to look. But I could see he wasn't doing very well.

I looked down to his pants. I could nearly see the bulge between his legs. This was probably going to be a little ballsy—pun slightly intended—but…I was curious. "But you can stop lying to me," I said. "I know you want to see me in less."

A _very_ awkward laugh escaped him, like he was trying to deny it. "Yeah that would be…_not_ true."

"You sure about that?" I asked and pulled the towel on top of my head down.

"Mary, you should leave," he said, trying not to close his eyes.

I tossed the towel aside and said, "Why? Come on, Bash, don't be such a baby. We're both adults here." I grabbed the towel wrapped around my body to untuck it. "I can see right through you."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I just don't think it's appropriate to look at my future sister-in-law that way."

"Bet you've _thought_ about me that way, haven't you?" I asked. "That's why you can barely look at me right now. It'll destroy the fantasy, won't it?"

"No," he said. "Because you're delusion."

He was trying to act like he'd never thought about me naked before. Since the other night, I'd _definitely_ been thinking about _him_ stripped down in all of his glory. There was only a small part of him I hadn't seen unclothed…and I was actually hoping it wasn't all that small. "Am I? Then why won't you look at me right now? You could barely look at me _before_ I brought it up. So… that tells me that you have a _very_ dirty mind, Sebastian." I'd never used his full first name before. I actually liked the way it sounded.

Bash swallowed hard. I could see him struggling for words and how hard he was breathing without trying to look like his heart was racing. "We shouldn't be doing this," he said.

"And what would that be?" I asked. I was _this_ close to dropping the towel around my body.

"You know what," he said.

"I'll tell you what, Bash. If you can look at me completely undressed for ten seconds and don't react, I'll let you walk away. But if not… you have to tell me the truth. About _everything_."

"No," he said immediately.

I just laughed. He was so uptight. "Oh, Bash. You need to lighten up a little bit. Have some fun."

"So you define seeing you naked as fun?"

"Oodles." That was the honest truth.

He scoffed. "Francis would murder me if he knew."

"He doesn't need to know." I'd never tell Francis. Whether it be on accident or on purpose, if it happened, it could remain between us. I know people like to quote that dumb show, _Pretty Little Liars_, when they say '_Two can keep a secret if one of them is dead_.' But I think that's bullshit. Sometimes it's better for another person to know a secret. Sometimes.

Bash finally looked at me. "You're having second thoughts aren't you?" he asked, suspicious of me. "That's why you're acting out, trying to seduce me."

I was a little appalled at that. "Excuse me?"

"Well it's that or you're trying to find my manuscripts. I hid a camera in my room. I know you were looking in there while I was in the shower."

Fuck. I didn't know what to say. I was honestly at a loss for words. Bash had me stumped. He'd probably picked that camera up while he was away at the store. That's why his door had been locked. And he'd probably only just moved them when he got home.

"You'll never find them," he said. "And no matter how hard you try, you'll never read them."

I finally understood what this was about. "They're about _me_ aren't they? That's why you don't want me to read them."

Bash backed me up against the wall. "Don't avoid my question. Answer mine and I'll answer yours."

_Was_ I having second thoughts? Well at this point I was still pretty sure I wasn't supposed to know what love really was. I felt things for Francis, I really did. I cared for him. But I saw the kind of love Henry had with Diane, or that Libby and Philip had. Libby and Philip's marriage had been arranged too, but they fell in love with one another long before they were married. I didn't see them in Francis and I. I didn't see what they had before their wedding in us.

So… maybe.

"I don't know," I said. "Maybe it's just the nervous bride in me getting cold feet."

"Hmm," Bash mumbled. "Well… it'll wear off soon."

"Now it's your turn. Your writing… it's about me, isn't it?"

He looked me dead in the eyes. There was a long pause of silence. Then he finally answered. "No."

For some reason, I believed him. He gave me a straight face and looked into my eyes when he said it so I knew he was telling the truth. That, or I was as gullible as I was stupid. But even… I said, "Then prove it."

It was then that I dropped the towel to the floor, and watched his eyes.

...

A/N: Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! Thank you all for the reviews and comments! I got a question this morning in my PMs that I thought I would share with you all since some of you might have the same thing on your minds.

_Q: "Is Bash a virgin? That's what I got from his convo with his cousin. That would be so cute if he was lol"_

_A: "I haven't quite decided yet. It's entirely possible that Bash has done the nasty with someone and Isobel just doesn't know. I won't make that decision until I absolutely have to. :)"_

So there you have it! Chapter 08 coming soon! Please review, and don't be afraid to send in your questions!


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 08. – **THIS IS NOT WHAT WE SIGNED UP FOR

_-BASH -_

I… could _not_ believe this was happening.

My heart rate was going up about a million miles per second. I had no idea how I was going to control it. Mary was…_naked_…in front of me. I'd seen women naked before. I wasn't a virgin in that area or…well, any other area to be technical. But I had to say, this was a first. I'd never seen a family member naked before. Mary wasn't technically family yet but she was practically already married to Francis.

I wanted her. I really did. But I knew I couldn't have her. So I kept as straight of a face as I could for ten seconds, getting a good look at her naked body since it was the last time I'd probably ever see it like that. Then… I slowly bent down and picked up the towel. "You dropped this," I said.

She seemed a little surprised. But she said not a word, took the towel, and turned around to go back into her room. I didn't know why she had a knife but… okay.

I couldn't even remember why I'd left my room to begin with. But I need a drink…_stat_. I went to my liquor cabinet and took out of bottle of tequila before I went back to my room and shut the door. Collapsing on my bed, I opened the bottle and drank as much as I could before I had to come up for air. I could have been fucking her brains out right now…but I was too nice of a guy, and too loyal, to do that to my brother.

Mary was probably wondering where my manuscripts were. Isobel had them. Before she left I gave them to her to keep safe. At least until Mary backed off. I couldn't take the chance that I hid them somewhere else in the apartment and Mary would find them. I was amazed that she seemed to believe me when I said my writing wasn't about her. That was the biggest Goddamn lie in the history of lying.

Truth was… I was scared.

I spent the rest of the night writing again. I found myself writing about this entire experience. Maybe it was because I didn't want to forget it. Maybe it was because I was a freak. I really had no idea why I was writing about it. As I wrote it, it seemed a lot like fanfiction smut on the internet. (Yes, I knew what that was. I wasn't _that_ ignorant.) Two versions came out of it—fiction and reality. The reality was what really happened: me walking away. The fiction version was me fucking her brains out. It seemed a little odd as I was writing it. Normally I wrote about things that actually happened. For some reason I was turning into a fiction writer.

I didn't even remember falling asleep, but I eventually did. I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing at ten o'clock the next morning. It was my father. They finally had a lead.

.

When Mary and I arrived at the Valois Villa, I went right to the security room while Mary went to spend time with Francis, with Father's blessing. Stacy was at her computer along with the rest of my team surrounding her. Father stood off to her side and my mother behind him. I saw Catherine was there too. "Catherine," I said.

"Sebastian," she greeted me, coldly.

Father said, "Come here. We have to show you this."

I went over so I could see Stacy's screen. "Okay," she said. "Pay attention because this is one big mind-fuck." A video began playing. "This is the security tape with the missing footage." I watched and nodded when it was over. The time skip was only obvious because of the timer in the corner. "Okay now… I worked around some firewalls and viruses that tried to prevent me from getting to the erased footage, which nearly took a toll on our system. But the good news is I found _this__."_

What I saw surprised me.

Francis came out of his room with a handful of various drugs. He handed them to a person whose face never appeared on the screen. Whoever they were managed to successfully avoid all of them. That meant they knew where the cameras _were_. I couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman. It could have been a man. It sure _seemed_ like one. Whoever they were, they were just about a hair shorter than Francis.

"Francis…_gave_ drugs out."

My father nodded. "Yes. So whoever he's been dealing to is responsible for this."

I couldn't believe my brother was a drug dealer. Not for a minute. And not especially _in the house_ where he could easily be _caught_. It made no sense.

.

Francis looked utterly confused when we sat him down to get to the bottom of this. Father wouldn't let up on him until he was sure his second son was telling the truth. I stood in the back corner with Mary and my mother, watching Father and Catherine play good cop, bad cop. Neither of them were actually winning.

"Who were you selling to?" Father asked him again.

"I don't _sell_ my drugs," Francis said for the hundredth time. "And I don't give them away."

I knew that was a lie. We all did. Except Mary, since she hadn't seen the tape. "I'll give you one last chance to tell us who you gave drugs to the night of your party. We have _proof_, Francis. We hoped you would be honest with us, but if I have to show you the tape of it you'll lose any chance at making things right."

My brother was shit out of luck at this point. I leaned forward slightly with my arms crossed, but kept my back against the wall as I was nearly sandwiched between Mary and my mother. Francis sighed and said, "I gave drugs to Olivia."

Now _that_ was a name I hadn't heard in a long time. Olivia. Olivia Corrine, a very famous young French actress and an old flame of Francis'. Olivia was to Francis what my mother was to Father. She'd been out of the picture for some time, but the rest of us had apparently been blinded to what was going on.

"What was _Olivia_ doing in this house?" Father asked, showing his anger. "In fact, what was _Olivia_ doing back in the _States_?"

"She's here visiting family," Francis said. "That's all I know."

I looked over at Mary, who didn't seem too pleased with this news. She didn't like Olivia…at _all_. I didn't either, actually. She basically threw herself at Francis and hung all over him when she had the chance. Olivia had done what I so desperately _wanted_ to do but didn't have the will power to go through with: get between Francis and Mary.

"Where can we find her?" Father asked.

"I don't know," he said. "Honestly, I have no idea. She called me one day from a pay phone and asked if I had anything to… share. She came by the day of the party, got what she wanted, and left."

My father sighed. It was silent in the room for a long time. Finally, he spoke again, which was relieving to me because the silence made my stomach churn. "Well I know one way we can find her," he said. "I'll call my agent, who can call her agent." Father looked at Mary. "Mary… would you be willing to invite Olivia to your birthday party?"

I had no idea where Father was going with this…but I knew he had a plan.

...

A/N: I know, I know, y'all probably hate me. That's okay though. The wait will be worth it, I promise. ;) Chapter 09 coming at ya soon! -heart-


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 09. – **WISH I HAD A STORM WARNING

_-BASH -_

Mary didn't have much choice in the matter when it came to inviting Olivia to her birthday party. For the next week I kept a close eye on her in the apartment while she spent many hours on the phone with Greer, Lola, Aylee, and Kenna as they prepared for her big day. Finally, December eighth rolled around. Mary was officially twenty-one. I surprised her with breakfast in bed, per the request of Francis since he couldn't be there. When she thanked me, I told her to thank Francis since it was all his doing.

As soon as she had finished, we had to spend the day at her house. I drove her over and party decorating had already begun. I was let into the security room to run down procedures for tonight with the Stuart's security team, as well as my own which had arrived at the same time I did. Mary spent the day in her room with her ladies getting ready.

The theme, apparently, was that there was no theme except for the fact that Mary said she didn't want presents anyone had to buy. This year, she said she wanted everyone to sing her a song for her gift. So… karaoke I supposed. There was supposed to be some big grand entrance with her being carried in on a throne which… even for her, that sounded a little cheesy.

It wasn't my party, though, so I didn't have a say.

The party began at seven. Mary was carried in by a herd of strong guys while she sat on a throne. The DJ had some Sean Kingston song going that I recognized but couldn't remember the name of. Something about fire burning or something. Her girlfriends all walked in beside her and they started a dance number for the rest of it in the middle of it all. I watched from the side with Alec, one of the members of my team and an old friend of my mothers.

As soon as the ladies finished their performance, everyone applauded. I realized just how good of a dancer Mary was. She couldn't act worth a damn, but she was definitely coordinated when it came to moving to music. Maybe_ that_ was the talent she didn't know she had, or that anyone just didn't recognize because of how bad she was at something else she tried her hand at.

First up on stage was one of Mary's cousins who performed _Disco Inferno_, which was kind of hilarious, but I loved that song and sang along as I scanned the crowd for anything suspicious _or_ for Olivia's arrival since she had yet to show up. We had people out front checking everyone in, but no one was actually supposed to say anything when Olivia arrived. I had to keep an eye out for her. She was supposed to be coming. She'd accepted Mary's invitation.

About an hour in, I was watching Francis and Mary dance in the center of the dance floor in the back yard. I was exhausted but I had to keep myself on alert. Alec brought me a coffee, which I so desperately needed. It was the only thing that could keep me awake. I finished it off about twenty minutes later when Greer, Kenna, Lola, and Aylee took to the stage. The music for a Lady Gaga song began and Kenna took the lead. This was sure to be interesting.

What made me nervous, however, was when I heard Francis call my name.

"Bash!" he called. I looked. He nodded for me to come over. "Come dance with Mary for a moment."

I gave an awkward smile and laugh. "Oh, no, I don't—"

Francis cut me off, shouting, "That's an order, big brother! Come on, now, come dance with the birthday girl."

Well… I guess I couldn't refuse it. I went over to dance with Mary, meeting with her and Francis in the center.

"Don't be afraid to move a little, Brother," Francis said. "Get into it." Francis smiled, patted me on the shoulder, and then disappeared through the crowd.

Mary grabbed my shirt and pulled me in. "Come on now, Bash. Have a little fun tonight. You've earned it."

I couldn't argue with that logic, but it still made me nervous. After all, I'd seen her naked before. My future sister-in-law…the woman I was in love with. Or…at least _falling_ for. I had no idea. But I started moving to the music with Mary. I thought we were a little too close but I was afraid that if I pulled away to put some space between us she would become offended. After all, it was her birthday, and whatever she wanted, she got.

Actually…that wasn't much different any other day of the week.

Her friends finished the first song and another Lady Gaga song began with all four girls singing split parts. This time it got a little more intense as we danced. My heart was _literally_ ready to bust out of my chest. I was doing everything I could to keep myself from… well…ya know. I didn't want to have to hide that.

The girls did one final song. Greer took the lead and her boyfriend, Leith—who used to be one of the Stuart families cooks—came up to join her. It was that new Gaga song that I had to admit I really liked. This song didn't help matters though. In fact, it made it _much_ worse.

Finally it was over. The ladies took their bow and left the stage, Greer and Leith holding hands on the way down. That's when Francis took the stage with some of his friends. Every now and again they liked to pretend they were in a band. "Good evening, everybody," he said into the microphone. "This is my present for my beautiful fiancée." They started playing an Aerosmith song. Mary went up to the front, finally getting away from me, and I was able to breathe.

When Francis was finished, the party went back to normal with me standing in the corner with Alec and scanning the crowd for Olivia. She _still_ hadn't shown up yet. It was pissing me off. I saw Father with Diane and Catherine in another corner. He didn't look happy either. We were both growing impatient. Was Olivia even going to show up like she said she would?

It was nearing nine-thirty at night when Francis came up to me and said, "Bash, why haven't you gotten up there yet? It's not polite to not give a gift to the birthday girl."

Okay now _that_ scared me half to death. I laughed, awkwardly, and said, "Oh, no, I'm just part of the security detail, I don't count." That was my big excuse to not have to get up on stage and perform.

"Nonsense! You're practically her family! You count!" Francis grabbed my arm and pulled me to the stage. "Just pick a song, Brother. My guys will back you up." He turned his head a little and said, "Leith! Come here!" Leith came over and pushed me on stage in front of the microphone.

I'd never been on stage in front of a crowd before. So I was _beyond _terrified with everyone looking at me—especially Mary. I looked to the back corner and saw my mother smiling, nodding in encouragement. My father seemed pleasantly surprised too. I figured now was the time those guitar lessons I'd taken as a child would pay off. I hadn't picked up my guitar in months and I didn't normally touch the thing. But it was the only thing that was going to save me right now.

I gestured for Leith to hand me the guitar on the stand behind him. He did, and I put the strap over my shoulders. I took a deep breath and then whispered the song I wanted to perform in Leith's ear, who nodded and went back to tell the guys. "Happy birthday, Mary. This is for you."

The song began after I tapped off a '5, 6, 7, 8.' Mary seemed to recognize it and the look on her face made me nervous… but I knew I had to keep it together. When it was time, I started singing.

"_Yeah  
Oh no_

_She rolled in from the west in a summer sun dress  
Hotter than the heat in July  
With her wind blown hair it just wasn't fair  
The way she was blowin' my mind  
Have you ever noticed every hurricane  
Gets its name from a girl like this?  
She's a cat 5 kind keeps you up at night  
Hangin' on to the end of a kiss_

_She's a beautiful mess  
Yeah, the kind you love to love  
But what happens next?  
I got a feelin' when the sun comes up_

_I'm gonna wish I had a storm warnin'  
I'm gonna wish I had a sign  
I'm gonna wish I had a little heads up  
A little leeway, a little more time  
Some kind of radar system  
Locked in on love  
I got a feelin' by the time the night finds the mornin'  
I'm gonna wish I had a storm warnin'  
I'm gonna wish I had a storm warnin'_

_Ain't it funny how it feels when you're burnin' your wheels  
Somewhere between goin' and gone  
You get so lost that you can't turn it off  
You give in and you just turn it on_

_She's a heart full of rain, red lips like a flame  
She's a girl from your favorite song_

_What a beautiful mess  
One part angel, one part perfect, one part a wreck  
The kind of flood you'll never forget_

_I'm gonna wish I had a storm warnin'  
I'm gonna wish I had a sign  
I'm gonna wish I had a little heads up  
A little leeway, a little more time  
Some kind of radar system  
Locked in on love  
I got a feelin' by the time the night finds the mornin'  
I'm gonna wish I had a storm warnin'_

_I'm gonna wish I had a storm warnin'  
I'm gonna wish I had a sign  
I'm gonna wish I had a little heads up  
A little leeway, a little more time  
Some kind of radar system  
Locked in on love_

_I'm gonna wish I had a storm warnin'  
I'm gonna wish I had a sign  
I'm gonna wish I had a little heads up  
A little leeway, a little more time  
Some kind of radar system  
Locked in on love  
I got a feelin' by the time the night finds the mornin'  
I'm gonna wish I had a storm warnin'_

_Yeah, I'm gonna wish I had a storm warnin'  
I'm gonna wish I had a sign, gonna wish I had a sign  
Or a storm warnin', yeah_

_Little heads up, little more time  
Little leeway some kind of sign would've been nice  
Some kind of radar system  
If I heard it yeah I woulda listened to the storm warning  
To the storm warning"_

The party guests burst out into applause. I'd actually had a lot of fun up there. By the beginning of the chorus I was into it. It was like I'd been performing for years, but in reality I'd never set foot on a stage before. Mary was suddenly up on stage beside me, and before I could say anything—she planted a kiss on my lips.

It was a short kiss, really only a peck. But it took me off guard. And…it had pretty much done it for me.

...

A/N: FYI, the party is NOT over. I plan on keeping it going for at least ONE more chapter. ... Songs included (in order of appearance): _Fire Burning_ by Sean Kingston, _Disco Inferno_ by The Trammps, _Poker Face_ by Lady Gaga, _Bad Romance_ by Lady Gaga, _Do What U Want_ by Lady Gaga feat. R. Kelly, _I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing_ by Aerosmith, and _Storm Warning_ by Hunter Hayes. Chapter 10 coming soon! :)


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10. – **TIME'S UP

_-BASH -_

All I did was grin in response to Mary's kiss, even though I wanted to just pull her in and kiss her back as hard and long as I could. Not in front of everyone though. Especially not Francis, my mother, or my father. There was a mob of people here tonight. There was no way I wanted everyone to witness that. I had to keep myself in check.

_-MARY -_

I'll be honest…I had no idea what I was thinking when I kissed Bash. My emotions got the best of me I suppose. I know that song was _literally_ for me. I wasn't stupid. Everyone else here probably thought that it was some random song he pulled out of his ass because—and this is just a ballpark figure here—about seventy percent of them saw Francis pull him up on stage against his will.

Honestly it was probably my favorite performance of the night.

Over the course of the next hour, I knew everyone was on edge. By 'everyone' I meant Bash, Francis, Henry, and Catherine since they were still waiting for Olivia to come. I didn't care if the bitch showed up or not. She'd ruined my life enough as it was. I didn't want her here. But Henry insisted because he had some genius master plan to find out if she was the one who drugged me or who she'd given the drugs to._They_ no doubt were the ones who tried to kill me. Olivia was capable of many things, but murder was not one of them. I was sure of that.

Everyone thought Olivia was to Francis what Diane was to Henry. There was a difference in those two couples. Henry and Diane actually loved one another. I could tell just by the way they looked at each other when they were in the same room, whether from across the way or side by side. Olivia might have been in love with Francis, but he _certainly_ was not in love with her.

Or…maybe my naïve self wanted to believe that.

I found myself growing tired and I told my mother I was going to retire to my room. The party would go on without me. We'd already had cake, and I didn't have to stick around for all the performances since this was being filmed. Everyone would keep on having fun regardless of whether I was there or not. So I excused myself and went up to my room.

Collapsing on my bed, I closed my eyes and tried to relax. It felt good to be back in my room._My_ room. Not the room I was currently residing in full time because my mother and Henry dictated that I be in Bash's presence twenty-four/seven for my own safety. Maybe I could get away with staying here tonight. I'd be protected. We had plenty of security.

Nothing could go wrong. Nothing.

_-BASH -_

When Mary disappeared, I feared the worst. But her mother informed me that she was in her bedroom and two of the Stuart security team members were outside her door. I was relieved. We were still waiting on Olivia, and at this point I'd given up. She wasn't coming. I knew she wasn't. Father was still insistent that we wait but I just had that gut feeling this was all for nothing.

But…I couldn't have been more wrong.

Olivia _finally_ showed up around eleven o'clock. She looked like she was high on something. I knew she injected heroin on a regular basis and smoked marijuana but this looked horrible. She had to be drunk too. She could barely stand up straight. Francis went to her aid. Father motioned for me to come inside, and I followed him, Catherine, and Francis into the living room. We kept Marie out of this. My mother kept her occupied.

"Miss Corrine," Father said as soon as they'd sat Olivia down on the couch. "Would you like to explain to me how drugs that ended up in your possession thanks to my son wound up being used to harm Mary and one of her friends a couple weeks ago?"

She giggled uncontrollably and I knew she was completely out of it. This wasn't going to be any use to us. She wasn't sober. "Father, this might not be a good idea. We should wait until she's cleaned up."

"No," he said. "When people are drunk and disorderly they're the most honest." I had to give him that. But I still didn't think it was a good idea.

Olivia said, "The drugs… um…oh those drugs! Right!" She started giggling again. "Oh yeah, I gave those to that blonde guy… kinda tall. He was wearing a suit. It was really well fitted on him!"

Well.

"Do you know his name?" Father asked.

Olivia shook her head. "Nooope. But I seed him at your place a_lot_ when I hung out around there."

Father looked at me. Someone who was around a lot. That meant it had to be one of the guys on the security team. Or at least a former member since we'd had to fire a few of them in the last few months.

Suddenly… we heard a scream come from out back.

_-MARY -_

The scream woke me up. I was barely passed out but I heard it loud and clear. I jumped off my bed and ran to the door. There were two of our security officers outside my room. "What was that?" I asked frantically.

I barely waited for an answer before I went running downstairs. The scream wasn't the kind of scream people like to hear. Someone was screaming bloody murder. Something was wrong. As I got down into the living room I saw Olivia had finally arrived and was basically wasted on the couch. Francis was tending to her while Bash, Catherine, and Henry were all running out to the back yard.

A group of people were surrounding something near the corner of the yard, closer to the building. My mother knelt down beside whoever it was and so did Diane. I saw Kenna, Greer, and Lola but… where was Aylee?

Then I saw her. She was the one on the ground.

"Aylee," I said and pushed through everyone. She was stiff. Not moving. "No. No no no."

Bash went to her side and put his fingers to her neck. He bowed his head and shook it. I knew what that meant. She was dead.

_-BASH -_

It had been an attempt on Mary's life. Again. I knew I was in for a long night. The police came as well as the paramedics. An emergency autopsy was going to be performed and the police were going to question everybody. I gave my statement and stuck close to Mary as she gave hers. Then Father told me to immediately take her back to my place and not leave for any reason whatsoever.

We were back within the next thirty minutes. Mary went right to her room and closed the door. I knew I shouldn't bother her. Her friend had been murdered tonight. It was an accident. Whoever had done it tried to kill_ her_. This was officially being ruled as attempted murder. Someone was dead. Someone close to Mary…her friend.

Father called me a little after two in the morning. He'd finally left the Stuart Villa after watching the police question every last person at the party. They had no suspects. But Olivia was being taken into custody because she was under the influence of drugs and a minor under the influence of alcohol. Oh what a field day the press was going to have with _this_ story. What was supposed to be a simple birthday party turned out to be a murder scene.

In the morning after I'd gotten about three and a half hours of sleep, I went to the kitchen and prepared myself a bowl of cereal for breakfast. While I ate I watched Mary's bedroom door. It was still shut and no doubt she wasn't planning on coming out for awhile. I didn't blame her. But I wanted to be sure she was okay. I wished she would at least come out and make an appearance. That way I knew she was still halfway functioning.

I was supposed to wait on Father's call. He was sending the footage to Stacy to look over and see what she could find. That could take hours or even days. There were so many cameras to look over. It could take fifty times watching it to notice one little thing. Stacy wasn't a robot. It would take her some time.

When I finished with my breakfast, I went to the living room and turned on the radio. I kept it low so Mary wouldn't be disturbed. There was nothing good on any of the stations so I turned on the stereo and put my CDs on shuffle. I couldn't even remember the last time I used this thing. I didn't remember what CDs were even in there. But the first song that came on was a Hunter Hayes song, so I knew his album was in there.

Yeah, I _really_ like Hunter Hayes. Sue me. He's a talented little shit.

I found myself singing along quietly as I just sat there on the couch, realizing how relevant this song was right now. I was so worried about Mary but I didn't know how to help her in her time of grieving. Aylee had been a friend of hers since childhood. Losing her was going to take a real toll and I was afraid she might do something she'd regret.

The song finished up a couple minutes later. As it was fading out, I heard Mary's door open. I immediately looked back and saw her standing there. "Are you okay?"

...

A/N: I've had this ready since last night and I knew you'd all be waiting so... here you go! It's _possible_ I might update again today but I have to take a test so it all depends on how that goes. Chapter 11 coming soon, one way or another! Please keep reviewing! :) -heart-


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11. ** – CAN YOU FEEL IT COMING IN THE AIR TONIGHT?

- _BASH -_

Mary looked like hell. Her face was red, eyes puffy. She'd been crying. She also looked like she hadn't slept. Seeing her friend dead like that probably would have given her nightmares if she did. I felt horrible. I wished there was something I could do for her. "Mary?" I asked when she didn't answer. "Are you okay?"

She didn't say a word. She just came over to me as a new song, a slow eighties song, came on my stereo. Holding out a hand, she said, "Dance with me," in a nearly inaudible voice.

For some reason, I didn't even hesitate to accept. I slowly took her hand and she pulled me up. Within just a few seconds…our bodies were touching, front to front, and her arms wrapped around my neck. She laid her head on my chest and my arms ended up wrapped around her waist as we began to sway. My heart was beating so fast. I couldn't control it. I wished I could. It was so wrong for me to be feeling these things right now. Mary was grieving. I couldn't pour my feelings out to her just yet. Not now. Not any time in the near future.

Feeling her body so close to me, touching her, and feeling her heart beating, I closed my eyes and tried to relax. We swayed in place, making small steps every few seconds, and all was quiet with the exception of the music on the stereo. Mary seemed so relaxed. I didn't know how that was possible since her friend had just died. I'd never lost someone close to me so I guess I really didn't know how she was really supposed to react.

When the song ended, Mary stopped. I did as well, and watched her take a step back, reaching for my hands. "Can I stay with you tonight?"

It took me a moment to figure out what she actually meant. She was already staying _here_. But…she meant she wanted to stay with _me_ in my room. It wasn't exactly night yet, but I didn't even take that into consideration. Without thinking, I nodded and said, "Of course."

Mary kept a hold of my hands and turned, pulling me back towards the bedroom. I stopped on the way to turn off the stereo, and then let her lead me back to my room. I shut the door behind me and before I knew it, I was lying on my bed with my arms wrapped around her. She laid against my chest, snuggled as close as she could get to me.

I don't know how long we stayed like this. It had to be at least twelve hours, because I remember waking up the next morning and she was sleeping on my chest. I didn't want to move. I didn't remember her crying any either. Maybe she'd cried all she could for Aylee. After all, her face had been stained yesterday.

It was actually really early. About six a.m. I didn't know how I was awake this early. I hadn't been getting a regular sleep pattern, so maybe that explained a little bit of it. But my anxiety over Mary and her feelings right now probably were the other factor. She seemed so peaceful as she slept. As much as I wanted to get up and watch her sleep from another angle, I didn't want to disturb her.

She woke up about twenty minutes later. With tired eyes, she picked her head up and looked at me. A small, almost unnoticeable grin, crossed her lips. "Hi."

I returned the same expression. "Hi. Are you okay?" I asked the question after a few seconds.

She nodded. "I'm okay."

I didn't know whether to believe that or not. But maybe some people coped with loss better than others. She sure as hell wasn't Archer—running away from home, tending bar in the Polynesia, and banging newlyweds.

Wow, inappropriate. I _really_ need to stop watching that show.

"Thank you," she said. "For letting me stay here."

"You don't have to thank me," I said.

Mary almost sighed in annoyance. "Stop _saying_ that. Stop saying that I don't have to thank you for things. I think that's the one thing I hate about you. You're so modest. You don't take any credit even for the things you do."

It almost went over my head that she'd said it was the _one_ thing she _hated_ about me. "Well I guess I'd apologize but that would add to your list." I smirked. That made her smile wider. "So what do you _like_ about me then?"

"What?" she asked.

"Well you said, and I quote—'that's the one thing I hate about you.' So what do you _like_ about me?"

Mary sat up, and I did as well, but I stayed leaning against the pillows and the headboard. She faced me and crossed her legs. "Well…you're kind. You're loyal. You have a good head on your shoulders despite where you come from."

Those first two things were actually characteristics I _hated_ about myself. But that third thing got me curious. "Where I come from, huh?"

"Yeah. Your father and his side of the family."

"What about my mother's side?"

That had her stumped. She looked like she didn't know what to say. "I…guess I don't know a lot about your mother's side."

My grin grew a little. It gave me an idea. "How about I educate you a little bit, then?"

.

- _MARY -_

Somehow Bash thought it was a good idea to take me out. We ended up outside of Malibu between Los Angeles and I was staring at the building for a bar. This wasn't just any kind of bar though. It was a honkytonk bar. Isobel was in the back seat. I'd borrowed some of her clothes (pre-maternity). I'd never dressed up like a…_country girl_ before. But I had to admit, Bash looked _really_ fucking hot in jeans, cowboy boots, and a button up plaid shirt. Isobel wore a dress and boots and a cute little hat. She'd let me borrow one of her favorite outfits that she couldn't get any use out of right now since she was preggers—a pair of ripped skinny jeans, pure red cowgirl boots, a plaid shirt that tied in the front so it exposed my midriff a little, and a cowgirl hat made of straw and had some cloth wrapped around the top.

I was _definitely_ not in Hollywood anymore.

Isobel was going to be the designated driver tonight since she was pregnant and couldn't drink without putting her baby in danger. That suited us just fine since it was Bash's mission to get me drunk and get me to experience the other half of his roots. (Those were his words.)

When we walked inside, the air was hot and smelled like beer and whiskey. Whiskey I could deal with but… beer? Ughh. I shudder at the thought of it. The music was at an ear piercing volume that was too loud even for me. There was a band on stage performing a cover of an old country song I actually knew. My father had been a country music fan. My mother, not so much.

"Come on, Mary," Bash said and lead me to the dance floor. Isobel went to sit down as I was dragged into the crowded dance floor, right to the center, and we started dancing. I'd never really danced to country music before so I didn't know the style. But I let the music do with me what it would. Bash guided me and I tried following him and how he moved, also watching some of the other ladies around the bar.

We eventually went to get drinks at the bar. Bash insisted that I try a beer. I'd never actually had one but I thought the stuff looked nasty. "Come on, don't knock it until you try it," Isobel said. She was quite content with her ginger ale.

The bartender handed over a glass of beer that was practically overflowing. Bash picked his up and I followed suit with my own. "Cheers," he said and I returned it by touching my glass with his. I practically had to plug my nose to take in a gulp and made a face, ready to throw up as it slithered down my throat. I coughed, nearly gagging, and both Bash and Isobel cracked up laughing.

"Shut up," I said. I noticed it had an interesting aftertaste so I tried it again. Honestly? It wasn't that bad. I gulped down about half of the glass. When I came back up, Bash looked impressed. "What?"

"You sure you're not a cowgirl under all that rich girl glamour?" he asked, amused.

I shook my head, chuckling a little. "Stupid."

Bash laughed and took another swig of his beer. He set it down next to Isobel and I did the same with mine. A new song started and the two cousins cheered. "Oh yeah, come on Mary," Bash said. "You're gonna learn how to line dance!"

I froze a little at that. Line dance? Oh shit.

Bash and Isobel pulled me to the floor as a mob of people were lining up in various rows. "Just watch us and try to follow along," Bash said. They started the routine with everyone else at the beginning of the first verse. I didn't recognize, but I also wasn't really paying attention to that. I was more focused on trying to memorize their steps. Finally I joined in, turning so I was perfectly in line with everyone else. I was between Bash and Isobel who were singing along with a ton of other people. I loved seeing this side of Bash. He seemed so in his element. So lose and not so uptight.

I felt like this was the real him. And it explained his love of country music.

.

- _BASH -_

At the end of the night, Isobel drove us home. She hailed herself a cab to take her back to her dorm and Mary and I went up to the apartment, laughing and stumbling over our own feet. She was drunk. And…yeah, I was too. I hadn't been this drunk in a long time. We both needed that night out. Nothing bad had happened. I noticed, even in my drunken state, that the only time bad things happened were when Francis was around.

Coincidence? Maybe.

Mary laughed when I struggled to figure out how to put my key in the lock and took my hand in both of hers to help me put it through and unlock the door. We stumbled inside, still laughing, and I collapsed on the couch while Mary fell in the recliner. "_That_ was the most fun… I have _ever_ had," she said.

I didn't think it was possible for the smile on my face to get any bigger, but it did. "Well us country folks sure know how to get down and have a good time." We both laughed, her more hysterically than me.

My mother had been born in Texas. She was raised a one hundred percent country lifestyle, but somehow she got the Hollywood bug and ended up in California. That's when she met Henry and changed her ways to fit in out here. She retained some of her roots and passed them along to me. I didn't take advantage of them as much as I should. I realized now that I was the happiest when I could be myself. And showing Mary just who I was? That was like lifting a giant weight off my shoulders.

"Mary," I said. "Mary, come here." I waved her over. "I gotta tell you something."

She got up, stumbling a little as she did, and came over, tripping into my lap. We kept laughing, not able to stop. "What is it, Bash?" she asked.

I waved her closer, even though she was as close as she could get. Then I put my lips near her ear and said, "I think I'm in love with you."

...

A/N: First of all, thank you all for the wishes on my test. I got a 72/100, for those who care, and that's actually really good for me considering it was for Spanish. I'll take it. :)

Second of all, the song that was at the end of Chapter 10, I forgot to mention: _Cry With You_ by Hunter Hayes.

Songs included in _this_ chapter: _In the Air Tonight_ by Phil Collins, _Guitar__s Cadillacs_ by Dwight Yoakam, and _Good Time_ by Alan Jackson.

I tried to get this chapter up sooner, but I had a really long day today, and yesterday my muse died on me. But here it is! Chapter 12 coming soon! Please keep reviewing! -heart-


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12. ** – THERE'S NO PLACE THAT FAR

- _MARY -_

"I think I'm in love with you."

The words made me try to hold in my hysterical laughter, but I couldn't. I threw my head back in laughter and fell back on the couch, stretched out across Bash's lap. Bash laughed too. We couldn't stop. We were both way too drunk to know what was going on. I didn't even register what the words really meant. They had no real meaning to me right now.

"I think we're both kinda drunk," I said through my laughter.

Bash nodded, still laughing. "Mhmm."

I sat up, feeling the room spin a little as I did. I think I moved a little too fast. "I think we should sleep some." I stood up and took his hands. "C'mon, les go to bed." I pulled him up with some degree of difficulty and then we stumbled back to the bedroom. We collapsed in bed and eventually fell asleep.

I was up first. Immediately I ran for the bathroom, puking my guts up. My hangover was horrible. It hurt to even open my eyes. That was quite possibly the worst part of last night. I actually didn't remember a lot past dancing at one point. It was actually surprising that I'd woken up in Bash's bed. Thankfully I was clothed. I might've had a heart attack if I woke up and we were both naked.

Not that…I'd mind seeing Bash naked or anything.

When I was done throwing up—or at least I _thought_ I was, for now—I heard the sound of Bash throwing up in what was probably the waste basket beside his bed. We were both way too plastered to function last night, so our simultaneous hangover didn't surprise me. I slowly went out into the bedroom and saw he was leaned over the bed, coughing into his waste basket like I suspected.

"Ugh," I said. "I'm never getting that drunk ever again."

Bash sat back up and leaned against the pillows. He looked like shit. "I haven't been that drunk in a long time… and I think I remember _why_ now."

It wasn't long before we had some coffee made and both got in the showers in our rooms to try to begin the cure for this hangover. When I got out, I saw I had a missed call from my mother. I called her back, feeling only a little better, and she informed me that Aylee's funeral was going to be in two days. Her parents had drove up from San Diego—her hometown—and claimed her body, which was going to be buried in their family's cemetery.

That meant we'd have to drive about three hours to get to the funeral, probably stay the night at a hotel, and then drive back the following day.

When I got off the phone with my mother, I went to find Bash laying on his bed, dressed in brand new clothes that were more casual for him. I went to sit on the bed beside him. "So…the whole country thing?"

Bash sat up a little. "My mother's a Texan. Born and raised. She passed her roots on to me. I'm still a California boy through and through but I keep in touch with my southern roots. It actually feels a little more natural to me since I don't feel like I belong in Hollywood. Maybe because I was never given the privileges Francis and the others have. I was always the odd child out."

"And Isobel?"

"She's more in touch with our southern roots than I am. She was actually born in Texas too and lived there until her father died. When he was killed in a car accident, my mother had her come to live out here. She was only about fifteen. We had her put up in a house just outside the property. Father knew all about it and had everything paid for. Then Isobel decided she wanted to go to college and now she's living a dorm."

Bash came from two different worlds. _Very_ different. It was amazing that Henry and Diane's relationship worked so well. But, you know what they say… opposites attract.

Lacing his fingers together and resting his hands on his chest, he continued speaking. "I've never been to Texas. I've only been on a horse about three times in my whole life. But I love the culture my mother comes from. It seems so simple. I feel like I can relax a little more. I feel like I'm not judged so much."

I frowned. "I'm sorry you feel that way. But I've never judged you."

A small smile touched his lips. "Well thank you. I appreciate that."

"Aylee's funeral is in two days. It's in San Diego at two o'clock, so we'll have to get up early and make the drive."

Bash sat up more. "Or we could get a couple hotel rooms down there and drive down tomorrow afternoon. We can leave just before rush hour traffic begins and make it there by the evening."

I grinned. "Okay. I'll call Francis and let him know." I got up off the bed and went to my room to call my fiancé. He didn't answer his phone so I left him a message.

.

The next afternoon, Bash and I were on the road. We left around one o'clock, just twenty-five hours before the funeral was to take place. I sat in the passenger's seat of his Chevy SS while we coasted down the highway, looking out the window as we bypassed Los Angeles and headed south for San Diego.

Bash's car had a six disc stereo system so we had six different CDs on shuffle. _ARTPOP_ by Lady Gaga, _Prism_ by Katy Perry, _Hands All Over_ by Maroon 5, _Blurred Lines_ by Robin Thicke, _Red_ by Taylor Swift, and Evanescence's self titled album. The third one and the last two had already been in the car when we got in. Bash put the other three in, replacing three older country albums he had.

'_Applause_' came on and I started singing along, trying not to cry. Aylee loved this song. We all did. I grabbed the volume dial and turned it up all the way. We had the windows rolled down, so it wasn't too crippling to our ears to listen to. Blaring it at all volumes actually helped keep my tears at bay… and especially when Bash started singing with me.

I looked at him, a smile coming on my face, and he turned to look at me for a moment with one hand on the steering wheel and the other arm propped up on the window ledge. We continued singing at the top of our lungs to '_Roar_,' '_Red_,' '_Moves Like Jagger_,' '_What You Want_' and '_Blurred Lines_' respectively, as well as many other songs on the three hour drive down to San Diego. We made a quick pit stop at In-N-Out Burger for some quick food, eating in the car on the way down.

We finally arrived around four-thirty after hitting a few slow spots, plus taking into account that we stopped for food. We checked into a hotel and got two rooms right next to one another. The rooms actually had a door connecting them so Bash could get to me in an emergency situation. He wasn't expecting one, but I figured it was better to be safe than sorry.

.

The next day we all gathered at the funeral home downtown to pay our final respects to Aylee. Her parents looked devastated. I gave my condolences to them. They knew how much I cared about Aylee. She was one of my best friends. No one would ever replace her in my heart.

I found it odd that I couldn't find Francis in the crowd. His father was here, and even Bash's mother. But Francis was the only member of the Valois' to not show up. I didn't know what to think of it. Henry, Catherine, Libby, Philip, Charles, and little Henry were all here. Not Francis. Where was he? I tried texting him, but he didn't respond.

The funeral last awhile and eventually we all moved to the cemetery where they put her in the ground. The autopsy done on her had found signs of poison. Whoever was doing this was at least consistent with his/her choice of weaponry. Poison was the silent killer. I understood why they chose it.

Aylee's family had a gathering after at their mansion. An early dinner was served and we sat around talking about Aylee and how much we loved her. I eventually went up to Henry and asked him where his son was.

"Francis was feeling a little under the weather," Henry answered. "He's been knocked out by medicine for the last few days and when he's awake he's still feeling quite miserable."

Even if he was sick, he should have had the decency to let me know he wasn't coming. I needed him right now. My friend had just died and he wasn't here. It was _really_ upsetting.

For a moment, I thought the worst and suspected he might be lying just so he could sneak around with Olivia.

After the funeral, Bash and I went back to the hotel. I struggled to unzip my dress from the back. It had been a pain in the ass to zip it up to begin with. Bash knocked on the door that separated our rooms and opened it, peeking his head in. "Are you decent?" he asked.

"Oh I've been decent since I can't reach the damn zipper," I said, arms reached behind my back in all sorts of ridiculous directions, trying anything I could to get a hold of it to get it undone.

Bash laughed and opened the door. "Here, let me help." He stepped inside. I put my arms down and turned my back to him. He brushed my hair out of the way, putting it over my shoulder and I heard the faint sound of the zipper as he pulled it down.

"Thanks," I said, quietly, find that I was quite nervous now. That was saying something, since when Bash saw me naked last time it was because I was dumb enough to let him. Not that he'd asked for it. I kind of forced the issue on him. But now… feeling vulnerable… I was nervous.

"You're welcome," he responded. But he didn't move.

I found I was too nervous to move. I tried to will my feet to, but they didn't. They were stuck. I felt Bash so close to me, breathing against my neck. It was wrong to think about him like this. Especially right now after we'd just attended a funeral for one of my best friends.

Finally, he spoke again. "Good night, Mary."

"Good…night," I said. I stayed and place, not sure what to do. And when I turned around, the door that separated our rooms clicked shut.

...

A/N: I got a review last night (after a _very_ rough night for me) that came off as a little mean from an anonymous guest. I decided to address that review in the dialogue. I also wanted to talk a little about it here. You can seek out the review if you all wish, just so you understand what I'm talking about.

As mentioned in this chapter, Bash is _not_ a full fledged 'country boy in L.A.' He has southern roots and it's important for him to explore those roots because it's part of where he comes from. He feels like he can be himself more and not have to feel so sheltered when he's out having fun at a bar with his cousin or around people who are like his mother's side of the family. The real Bash is someone who is actually quite fun to be around, which was Mary's point in the last chapter at the end of her section. I'm going to assume, anon, that you're a person who's not fully educated in the world of the south. I apologize if that's not something you particularly like, however this is my story and if you don't like it you don't have to read it. Plain and simple. :)

So there you have it. Chapter 13 coming soon! -heart-


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER 13. ** – WHAT HURTS THE MOST IS BEING SO CLOSE

- _BASH -_

We returned home to Malibu the next day. It was between two and three in the afternoon when we arrived. I unpacked quickly and went to the kitchen to start cooking something for dinner. Mary was still unpacking. I figured it would take her awhile since she had so many bags. Four…all for one trip. It was kind of ridiculous.

I turned on the television to watch while I cooked. There was nothing good on, so I decided to pick something on Netflix. Surprise, surprise… I picked _Archer_. I decided to watch '_Crossing Over_' since it was my favorite episode of the entire series. I proceeded to the kitchen as the episode began.

Then I heard Mary's voice.

"'For I am a sinner in the hands of an angry God.'"

I turned around and saw her as she quoted Archer's dialogue.

"'Bloody Mary, full of vodka, blessed are you among cocktails. Pray for me now, and at the hour of my death, which I hope is soon. Amen.'"

I busted out laughing, so hard, in fact, that I had to hold my stomach as I bent over. Tears came out of my eyes and I grabbed the edge of the table. "Oh my God." When I'd calmed down, I came back up and said, "I didn't know you watched this show."

"Who _doesn't_?" she asked, coming over with a huge smile.

I shook my head, still laughing slightly. "Well I think that makes you ten times cooler."

"Have you ever tried Green Russians?" she asked.

"I have not," I answered, matter-of-factly.

"Do you have absinthe and milk?" I nodded in response. "Then allow me." She went over to the cupboard to get the absinthe out and proceeded to the refrigerator to get some milk. I got started on cooking chicken, almost wishing I had stuff to _fry_ chicken and make waffles.

It's an _Archer_ joke…again.

"I can't believe you've never had Green Russians," she said, pouring the two liquids into glasses. "You have both absinthe and milk and never bothered to mix them?"

"I guess I never thought to do it," I said, putting the chicken in the pan on the stove. "Besides I'm sure you're an expert on them."

Mary was suddenly beside me, holding up a glass. "Of course," she replied. I took the glass and immediately drank some. I really liked it. "See?"

"Wow, what the hell have _I_ been missing?"

"Apparently _that_."

I finished dinner by the time the episode was over. We sat down in the living room to watch another episode. '_El Secuestro_.' Another funny as shit episode. (Actually they're all funny as shit. It's a funny show.)

Mary made another round of Green Russians and I was pretty sure I'd get drunk off of this stuff. It was kind of ridiculous how good it was. We skipped around all three seasons that Netflix had up—season four had yet to be—and watched various episodes for the next couple hours. By the time I finished my third drink, I was really feeling the effects of it. Mary was only on her second, pacing herself a little more. I think she learned her lesson after our night out at the bar.

I went to shower once I found the willpower to get up off the couch. I kept the temperature of the water moderately warm. For some reason I didn't want the scalding hot water I normally had. Maybe I just needed to cool down. I'd been thinking a lot about Mary ever since that night. Then there was last night in the hotel room. It was ridiculous just how hard a simple task like unzipping her dress made me.

After I got out of the shower, I dressed into a pair of sweatpants and a black undershirt, ready to just fall into bed and sleep for a million years. Literally. A million years would probably do it for me.

I'd just drifted off when my phone rang. It was Stacy. I was a little surprised to see her number pop up. She told me she had information. "Okay, what's up?"

"_Alright so… you know how footage was erased from the security tapes here?_"

"Yeah."

"_Well whoever did this wasn't able to get to the Stuart Villa security tapes. I found someone drugging a drink. It was almost missed and I actually had to watch the tape about thirty times or so to actually catch it. Aylee died five minutes after. I think she was the intended target._"

"But why?" I asked. That made no sense. Only _Mary's_ life had ever been at risk. Well…okay, there was Kenna too, but that was a complete accident.

Stacy answered, "_My guess? To send Mary a message._"

"What kind of message?"

"_Your guess is as good as mine, Boss_."

I was dumbfounded right now. I sat there in silence for a moment before I said, "Okay. Thanks Stacy. Let me know what else you find." Then I hung up after she agreed to keep me posted. I put my phone on the nightstand and fell back on the bed. What kind of message would this person want to send to Mary? Were they trying to get to _her_ through her friends? Aylee was poisoned on purpose. Kenna was on complete accident…

Or…_was_ it?

.

When I woke up in the morning, Mary had already made breakfast. I was shocked. She'd actually done a good job. It could use a little work, but I had to admit she had the hang of it. Plus, using a cookbook helped. That's how I'd learned to cook when I got out on my own. Nothing ever beat following directions.

I debated on whether I wanted to tell Mary about what Stacy told me. She could warn Kenna, Greer, and Lola to be more careful in case one of them was next. But maybe that would do more harm than good. Maybe Mary being in the dark was the best thing until we had more information.

We ended up at the Valois Villa. Mary went to see Francis while I tended to things in the security room. Stacy showed me the video she had of the killer putting poison in Aylee's drink. He or she was unrecognizable. Also… the worst part was that I was _right there_. I'd been about ten feet away from Aylee and the table where her drink was sitting and I completely missed it.

I could have stopped it.

It all happened right before Olivia showed up. I think it was planned that way. Olivia _knew_ who this person was. My guess was her drunken act from that night was all that…an act.

.

- _MARY -_

I knocked on Francis' door several times. I needed to talk to him. To see why he hadn't showed up to Aylee's funeral. There was no answer on the other side, but I swore I heard moving. "Francis!" I called, knocking again. "Francis, open up, it's me!" There was still no answer. So I took a bobby pin from my hair and picked the lock, opening the door as soon as I heard it click.

What met my eyes didn't sit well with me.

Francis and Olivia, getting dressed, and not even halfway there. The bed sheets were completely messed up. The rest of their clothes were thrown in various parts of the room. Olivia grabbed a sheet and covered herself up. The look on Francis' face was priceless.

"Mary—" he started.

I held up a hand. "Don't. You don't have to explain. I understand fully now. Why you weren't at Aylee's funeral. Why you weren't there to support _me_ in my time of need. After my _friend_ just _died_, all because there's a target on _my back_!"

"Mary, please—"

"NO!" I shouted. "No! I'm done, Francis! You know how I feel about her! You know how I hated when she got to you! I'm not going to stand here and take it anymore. I'm _done_. I'm getting out of this engagement. I will _never_ marry you." I grabbed the door and slammed it shut, hurrying downstairs.

.

- _BASH -_

I heard Mary shouting. I knew it wasn't good. Stacy told me to go and I hurried out of the room and caught Mary as she was running towards the front door. "Mary!" I said, catching her in my arms and pulling her back. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"Francis was in bed with Olivia!" she sobbed. "That's why he wasn't at the funeral with me! He was too busy screwing _her_!"

I honestly was not surprised. With Olivia back in the states, I knew something had to be up. Francis could never resist her seduction. I couldn't imagine how Mary felt. "Shh," I said, pulling her against me to let her cry. "It's okay." I rubbed her arm with my hand and rocked her a little as she sobbed. "Come on, let's get you back home."

She pulled away and nodded, wiping her eyes with one hand. I took her to the car and within minutes we were back at the apartment. She went right to the couch and stayed there for the rest of the day. I didn't know what to do. This was a whole new level of comforting I had no expertise in. She'd just found her fiancé cheating on her. I heard her phone calls, screaming to her mother about how she wanted out of the engagement. It didn't sound like she was winning. I felt really bad for her.

Later that night after dinner—Mary didn't eat anything—I got in the shower again. Normally I wasn't the kind to take one every day, since every other day suited me just fine, but for some reason I just felt the need to get in there again. I turned on my phone's music library, letting it play on shuffle, and the first thing that came up was Muse.

Tonight my water was back to its scalding temperature. I just stood there for a moment, letting my body warm up, and saw how red my skin was getting from the water. I was used to it. I'd been taking these hot showers for years. Maybe I'd end up with skin damage sooner or later. I had no idea, but I didn't care. It was relaxing.

"Bash?"

I was surprised to hear Mary's voice. I slid the shower door open a little so I could poke my head out. "Are you okay?" I asked, seeing her standing in the doorway.

She didn't answer. She took a few steps towards me, and stopped when she was close enough to me. I didn't know what was going on.

But I wanted to find out.

.

- _MARY -_

I didn't quite know what this would do. I didn't quite know _why_ I was doing it. Maybe it was the temptation of it. Maybe it was for revenge. Or maybe it was because, deep down, I _wanted_ to. I stepped towards Bash and put a hand to his wet face. I could feel the steam coming from the shower, pouring out through the door and the opening at the top. His skin felt so good as I caressed it with my hand. He closed his eyes. I wasn't sure what he was thinking. But I knew what I wanted.

So when he opened his eyes, I took another step forward…and kissed him.

...

A/N: SURPRISE! Because I failed to put up Ch. 11 the same day as Ch. 10 like I sort of promise, and since you're all so wonderful (and since I don't want to get too ahead of myself because I'm currently writing Ch. 14), I hope you enjoyed your present! Forewarning: Ch. 14 is where that M rating on this fic _really_ kicks in.

Also, I'd like to take this moment to do a quick 'About the Author.'

So, hi guys, I'm Sam (short for Samantha but only my family calls me that.) I'm 21 (22 in August) years young, originally from Michigan but I currently live in Texas. I'm a film major, focusing in screenwriting. I'm also an avid roleplayer. My RP site has been up for four years as of this month. You can follow me on Twitter and Tumblr samrenee2010. As you can tell, I _really_ love the show _Archer_. I think it's literally the funniest show ever, and I always try to find subtle ways to incorporate it. If you've never seen it, I HIGHLY recommend it. Seasons 1-3 are on Netflix (we're still waiting on season 4 to go up). You can easily watch one season in about six hours or less.

FYI, I've never tried a Green Russian so I have no idea what it tastes like.

Fun fact: I thought _Reign_ looked absolutely HORRIBLE when I saw the previews for it. I almost didn't watch it, but when they did the encore presentation of the pilot on The CW the day after it aired, I decided to watch it because nothing else was on TV. Best decision EVER. I've been obsessed ever since! :)

Ch. 14 is almost done and if you're all good little readers (and reviewers, hint hint) I'll have it up in the morning for you! -heart-


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER 14. ** – I JUST SURRENDER AND HAVE MYSELF A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

- _BASH -_

She kissed me. I should have expected it. What I didn't expect was kissing her back. Me. _Kissing_ her back. It didn't even matter that I was dripping wet and naked in the shower. It didn't matter that she was under my protection. It didn't matter that she was my brother's fiancée (technically still). All that matter was that I _wanted_ to kiss her back.

I opened the shower door further and pulled her in as a new song came on my phone. Depeche Mode. Perfect. I shut the door, pulling her close and then turning to push her up against the wall, going directly under the shower head so she got soaked. She quickly took off her shirt and tossed it over the opening at the top while I fiddled with the buttons on her pants, finally popping them out of their holes and pulled her pants down her legs. She stepped out of them and kicked them to the side. As I came back up, she pulled me close and kissed me again, cupping one hand on the back of my head and put the other on my lower back while mine went to her sides.

Mary parted her lips and I did the same, our tongues tangling together. A moan came from the back of my throat, and I felt her dig her nails into the bare skin of my back. I wanted her. I wanted her and I felt like I could finally have her. I was allowing myself to take it all. No more hiding, no more lying. I wouldn't allow myself to do that anymore.

She pushed me away for a moment and reached behind her back to unhook her bra. She tossed it to the side and slipped off her panties, kicking those over as well. I went to step closer to her again, but she held out her arms to stop me. She was studying me. I realized I'd seen _her_ naked before, but she hadn't seen _me_. By the look of it, she'd wanted to for a long time.

Before I knew it, she had pushed me up against the wall, switching side with me and started kissing my neck. I closed my eyes, titling my head back and arched into her as she kissed her way down to my chest, then my abdomen, and then… I gasped.

.

- _MARY -_

I wanted him. I wanted to have my way with him. I'd be damned if anything stopped us. I wouldn't let it. After waiting for so long, I deserved this. I deserved to have what I wanted. No one could tell me no, not even Bash. But he wasn't stopping me. He wanted this as much as I did. I could feel it. So I slowly dropped to my knees and opened my mouth, hearing the gasp come from his mouth as I began.

He was so hard, and it made it that much easier to work my magic. It had been different with Francis. He'd _never_ been like this for me. That thought burned me, and made me that much more passionate for Bash, whom I now knew had real feelings for me. He really did. They weren't forced out of an arranged marriage set by our parents when we were still in the womb. If his feelings for me were anything like mine for him, they'd come out slowly over a period of time in the last few weeks. And he was _gorgeous_. Good _Lord_, was he gorgeous. His body was like a work of art, sculpted by some artist in Ancient Greece. I didn't care how cheesy that sounded in my head. It was the truth.

Bash reached his climax and I came back up after swallowing and catching my breath. My heart was beating so fast. I wanted him inside of me now. I kissed his lips with great fervor and felt his hands exploring my body, one of his hands eventually tangling in my dripping wet hair. I was about to say something to him, but then I heard the lyrics of the song.

_All I ever wanted, all I ever needed is here in my arms  
Words are very unnecessary, they can only do harm_

So I decided to stay quiet. I didn't want to ruin this moment for us.

Bash turned me around and I jumped up to wrap my legs around his waist, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissed him again. I looked into his eyes and saw what he wanted to say, but didn't say audibly. It was now or never. So… I just went for it. I had to have him. I let out a cry when we joined together, but soon the pain went away.

.

- _BASH -_

I… was _actually_ doing this. I'd say I couldn't believe it but… really, it was like a fantasy come true. Something I never thought would actually happen. I didn't know where this was going to lead or what would happen afterward but right now I didn't care. I _had_ her. I had her and I wasn't letting go.

"Oh, Bash," I heard her cry out. "Oh, God, yes!" She moved with me, and we found a rhythm to find mutual satisfaction. She moaned and panted, digging her nails into my shoulders as she held on while I kept her pushed up against the wall of the shower, the hot water still running down our bodies creating a sauna.

My heart was beating so fast I was afraid it would stop. She felt _so_ good. "Fuck, Mary," I managed to get out between my moaning. She cried out, throwing her head back and closing her eyes, knowing she was getting close.

"Bash, please please please," she begged. "I'm so close, _please_." She cried out again.

I wanted her to come for me. I _needed_ her to. So I kept going. I wanted it to happen together. I tried so hard not to let go before she did, even though it was just _killing_ me inside.

Then… it happened. Together.

.

Fifteen minutes later we were lying in my bed together. I had my arms wrapped around her as she lay on top of me, and we kissed gently. I loved her. I wanted to say it out loud so bad. But I didn't want to say it too soon. I promised myself I wouldn't hold back anymore, but this one would have to wait awhile.

Mary pulled away and looked me right in the eyes as she rested her forehead against mine. "If I ask you something, will you tell me the truth?"

I knew what she was going to ask. "Of course."

"You were lying when you said your writing wasn't about me… weren't you?"

I put a hand on the side of her face. "Yes. I was."

She put a hand on top of mine. "I understand."

I moved both of us so I was on top now. She wrapped her arms around my neck and looked up at me with loving eyes. "I want you to read it," I said. I really did. She had to know everything now. There was no point in hiding it anymore.

Mary smiled. "Really?"

"Yeah. Really."

She leaned up and our lips met. I put my hand on the side of her face again and kissed her with a slow, powerful passion. I felt like I could finally let myself out. I could finally tell her everything.

.

Isobel dropped my manuscript off the next day. Mary lay in bed, wrapped in a sheet, reading everything I wrote long ago. While she read, I had my laptop out. I was writing new material. I wrote about last night. I wrote about most of the events that had happened from where I left off. I wondered what Mary was thinking as she read. She was awfully quiet. That could have been a good or a bad thing.

.

- _MARY -_

So Isobel had the manuscripts. I should have expected that. I didn't say anything when she showed up and gave Bash the stack of papers that had once been in the box under his bed. Wrapped in a sheet, I took the stack and started to thumb through it. Bash put his boxers on and got his laptop out, bringing it over to the bed. He was writing again. That made me smile. I also thought he looked sexy in glasses. I didn't know he wore them.

His writing was definitely about me. I found my heart racing as I did. Especially on page 202, which I got to about two hours in. I was certain this was the moment Bash realized he was in love with me.

_[February fourteenth, two thousand and ten_

_Valentine's Day. It's such a chick's holiday. The only Valentine I've ever had is my mother. She's always promised me that I'm her one and only Valentine, but sometimes I have a hard time believing her. She gets me a little gift and then goes to spend the rest of the day with my father, sitting on his lap and hanging all over him. Even now I'm still not sure what I should think about my parents' relationship. They're in love. That's always been clear to me. But Father's married to another. Even though I don't particularly like Catherine because of how she treats me, I feel sorry for her._

_ It's her party tonight, Catherine's. I'm here because…well, I don't even know why. Biological obligation? At least on Father's part. I'm not related to Catherine by blood, thank God. I always remind myself of that when she makes some snide remarks towards me. I don't want to be here tonight. Well, at least seventy-five percent of me doesn't. The other twenty-five percent is not wanting to leave at all. It's because of Mary._

_ She's here tonight. I can't take my eyes off of her. Even as she hangs on the arm of my brother, my eyes still follow her. She's beautiful. Gorgeous, in fact. Her hair's done in ringlets, half up half down. She's wearing a long, flowing light pink gown. If I had to describe her in one word, I'd say… queen._

_ She knows who I am, and yet she doesn't notice me. It doesn't bug me as much as it should. I know my place in this world. I'm the bastard brother. I'm the one who doesn't belong. That's why I'll never have this woman. She may only be seventeen, but she's a woman to me. I don't care about her wealth. I don't care about her social status. I don't care about her reputation. I care about her and only her._

_ Mary Stuart is the woman I love. I've been trying to figure out my feelings and how to put them into words for years, but I think at this moment, I'm one hundred percent sure now. I'm in love. And then I remember that she's my brother's fiancée._

_ I want her…and I will never have her.]_

It broke my heart to read that. He's been in love with me for almost five years, perhaps longer. I don't know how he kept everything inside for so long. I felt a tear run down my face and I reached up to wipe it away.

"Are you okay?" Bash asked, looking at me.

I looked up. "You kept in your feelings for so long. And this whole time I've been treating you like someone who wasn't even there."

He put a hand on my face. "Hey. It's okay. I promise, it's alright."

I shook my head. "No. No it's not. It's not okay. I could have had someone who loved me for me, not because he thought he had to."

Bash put his laptop down on the floor and turned back to take me in his arms. "Shh," he said. "Don't beat yourself up over this. I promise it was worth the wait, Mary. I wouldn't have it any other way."

A few more tears ran down my cheeks but I managed to grin. He returned the expression and leaned down to kiss me. I kissed him back, putting my hand behind his head.

...

A/N: As promised! It's actually 6:30 a.m. as I'm putting this up. I just woke up and I'm about to get ready for a long day of classes (ugh) so I think I made good on my word. :)

So was it worth the wait for all of YOU? -crosses fingers and hopes- This story is FAR from over, though, so don't fret! We still have a long way to go! ... Song included in this chapter: _Enjoy the Silence_ by Depeche Mode. Last chapter's song, I forgot to mention, was _Supermassive Black Hole_ by Muse. Ch. 15 coming soon! :) xo -heart-


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER 15. ** – AND I GUESS RIGHT NOW HERE'S ANOTHER ONE

- _BASH -_

Several hours later, Mary and I got calls at the same time. Mary's was from her mother, and mine was from Stacy. Ironically, we were both wanted at the Valois Villa. We reluctantly got dressed and left the apartment to go over.

I met Stacy in the security room while Mary went to see her mother who was in the living room with Father, Catherine, and Francis. I knew their conversation wasn't going to be a good one. Mine, however, could be good or bad. "What's up?" I asked and sat down next to Stacy at her little station.

"So a thought occurred to me," she said.

"Yeah, and what would that be?"

She opened a file of all of the clock-in and clock-out logs for the security team. "I decided to check out all of the times the team was around and who exactly was there during that day at the villa. I also checked the times at the Stuart Villa since we were given access during Mary's birthday party." I nodded. "Okay so… everything checks out at original glance, right?" It was a rhetorical question so all I did was nod and go along with it. "Well, then I thought to check manual entries."

_Now_ we were getting somewhere. She was about to give me some good news. I could feel it.

With her finger, she pointed to a name on the screen. "This was the _only_ one manually entered that day. _And_ he was logged in at the Stuart Villa during Mary's birthday party."

I wouldn't have said I was surprised but…I really wasn't. Hugo. It got me to thinking, which I started to tell Stacy as I did. "I think he's just the puppet behind all of this. He's not the puppeteer. This has to be Catherine's doing. Catherine hired him. He's loyal to her, not to Father. And you know Catherine doesn't want Mary and Francis to wed."

Stacy put her hands in her lap. "I had the same suspicions but…you're the head of security, Boss. You're gonna have to decide what you want to do next."

"The figure on the cameras at the Stuart's…does it look like it could be him?" She nodded and brought it back up for me to watch. The build of the figure, whose face never meets any of the cameras, looked like it could be Hugo. They were very similar. "Fuck," I said. "How are we gonna nail him on this?"

She gave me a worried look. "I couldn't tell you, Boss."

.

- _MARY -_

I didn't want to be here. I wanted to be in bed with Bash, reading his manuscript and occasionally stopping to blow his mind with amazing sex. We could have gone a full day like that, but unfortunately we were both needed for different reasons at the Valois Villa. Bash's had to do with the case of who was trying to kill me. Mine…well, I hoped it would bring an end to my engagement.

Henry asked me to be seated in the living room. Francis stood by his side. I took the spot on the loveseat by my mother, who reached out and took my hand. Catherine stood off in the far corner, but close enough to still feel present. "Mary," Henry started, "Francis has something he'd like to say to you."

I held up a hand after pulling it away from my mother, leaving the other in her grasp. "I don't want to hear his apology, Henry. I told him before I didn't want Olivia around. He thinks he can do whatever he wants. He's wrong."

"Yes, I've explained that to him. Which is why Olivia won't be around anymore. I'm having her deported back to France. She won't be allowed in the states again."

That shocked me. "H-how?"

"Don't worry about how. And as for the little matter of her sending off drugs to someone to harm you, Stacy's already filling Bash in on what she's discovered. Hugo, one of our security officers, is our prime suspect right now."

Well at least we were getting somewhere. But I had my suspicions because Hugo was _very_ loyal to Catherine, my greatest enemy.

Henry continued. "I think it's been long enough and we've all been through a great deal that we shouldn't put this off any longer. It's time that you and Francis are married, and that our families fulfill their promises to one another."

Um, no. I stood up, letting go of my mother's hand. "I don't think I made myself clear on the phone yesterday. I will _not_ marry your son."

My mother put a hand on my arm. "Darling, this promise was made before you were even born. It's been twenty-one years in the making. To change it now would—"

I cut her off. "No. I will _not_ fulfill whatever contract you have with the Valois family, Mother. I refuse to take part in an arranged marriage with a man who continues to disappoint me, even after he says he won't."

"I don't think you understand how this works, Mary—" Henry said.

I cut _him_ off too. "Oh I understand perfectly. But I won't cooperate. I will not be stuck in a loveless marriage."

Francis, in shock, asked, "Loveless? Mary, I _love_ you."

"I don't believe that. I think you think you love me because it's been put in our minds since birth that we were supposed to be together because of some sick fantasy our parents had when they decided to play matchmakers. But up until yesterday, I thought the same thing. I thought I was in love with you. And it turns out I'm not. I don't love you, Francis."

Henry wasn't looking at me. He was looking over my shoulder. I turned around to see Bash standing off in the very far corner next to the stairs, trying not to listen. Henry looked suspicious when I looked back at him. "Bash?" he asked. Bash looked up. "Come here, please." When he was close enough, Henry asked, "Bash… will you take Mary as your bride?"

My heart _literally_ stopped.

.

- _BASH -_

There…was _no_ fucking way I heard that right. "Father?" I asked, looking for clarity.

"Father, this is a joke right?" Francis asked him.

Our father held up a hand. "Quiet, Francis." He stepped closer to Bash with his hands now behind his back. "I will not let my promise to the Stuart family go broken. If Mary refuses to marry Francis, then maybe she'll agree to wed my eldest son."

Catherine stepped forward. "You've got to be kidding, right?" she asked, looking at her husband was desperate eyes. "We made this deal _together._ For _our_ son."

He looked at her. "Actually we did no such thing. You see, the thing about contracts is that there's always a loophole. And I've realized what this one's is. I made this deal with the Stuart family on my own with your approval. We agreed that Mary would marry my son, however, it didn't specify _which_ son that was."

Mary's mouth opened slightly as she began to realize what was going on. "And all this time, everyone was under the impression that it had to be Francis…because…."

I finished her sentence when she trailed off. "Because I'm your bastard son. Illegitimate."

Father nodded. "Yes. And I think, if Marie will agree to it, that we can fulfill our promise in another way."

I looked at Marie, who turn to face me for a moment before standing up and coming over to me. She took my hands and said, "I do not want to hear her calling me, screaming that she wants out of this contract again because the person on the other end has hurt her."

How was I going to do this without revealing too much about myself and my feelings to everyone? No one knew we'd slept together. Not yet anyway. "I'm sworn to protect her at all costs under my Father's orders," I finally said after looking at Mary briefly. "If this is an order given, I will accept it."

"Bash," Mary said. I looked at her. "They should know."

"Know what?" Francis asked.

Mary looked at him. Dead in the eyes. "Bash and I had sex last night. And this morning. About five different times actually between eight o'clock and forty-five minutes ago when you all called."

Shit. Here we go…

...

A/N: I wasn't actually going to update again today, but my friend Sydney informed me there was something wrong. Chapter 10 had been accidentally replaced by Chapter 11 when I was trying to fix something in Chapter 11, and therefore it wasn't there for... well, I don't even know how long. SO... if you missed it, pleeeeease go back and read it since that's a crucial chapter! Everything should be as is. I probably won't update again until much later tomorrow since I've spoiled you all so much already. Do y'all realize how lucky you are? ;) Chapter 16 coming soon, though! xo


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER 16. ** – I'M SITTING HERE ON PINS & NEEDLES WAITING FOR YOU TO CHANGE YOUR MIND

- _MARY -_

I looked at Francis and told him with my body language that what I'd just said was true. He didn't look happy. He was in complete shock. I almost wanted to laugh but I kept a serious stance, feeling like it wasn't appropriate to laugh just yet. "You…_what_?" he asked. It was silent. He struggled to find more words to say for a few minutes while he let it register inside his mind that I'd fucked his brother, not once, but _multiple_ times. "So… so you think it's okay for _you_ to cheat on me, but _I_ can't cheat on _you_?!"

"Technically I didn't cheat on you," Mary said. "Regardless of our 'contract' I ended things with you last night. So as far as I'm concerned, we weren't engaged when Bash and I slept together."

Francis looked at Henry. "Father, this is ridiculous! Do something!"

Henry held up a hand in his son's face, staring at me. "Silence. Not another word from you." He stepped closer to me and Bash, standing between us. From one of us to the other, he looked back and forth several times. I could see the wheels turning in his head. "How long has this been going on?" The question wasn't directed any either of us in particular.

I looked at Bash, not sure how to really answer that question. But he spoke for us. "Just since last night. But… I guess it's been building ever since she moved in."

Henry didn't react to that, but I could tell he was still thinking. He inhaled deeply and then slowly exhaled, tapping his foot on the ground twice. Finally, he looked at my mother. "Marie, what do you think?"

Mother had her hands wrung together now, looking at me. I told her with my eyes that I would do anything to get the hell out of this engagement with Francis. So she looked at Henry and said, "I accept your amendment to our contract."

A small smile crossed my face. Francis was pissed. I paid no attention to him though as he started throwing a fit and had to be dragged out of the room by two security guards that Henry called over. Catherine followed him, no doubt to try and calm him down. At least she was getting what she wanted. I wasn't going to be marrying _her_ son.

"Diane, dear, please come out here!" Henry called gently, looking over his shoulder.

All of a sudden, Diane appeared from the hallway off to my right. Had she been eavesdropping the entire time? Actually… no, I didn't really care to give that much thought.

Henry held out his hand for Diane and she took it. "My dear, do you give your blessing upon this union?"

"Of course," Diane said. "I want nothing more than to see my son happy and married."

Bash looked at me, not sure what to say. I gave him a small grin, knowing that neither of us expected this but it's what we both wanted. Maybe not this quickly, and _definitely_ not like this. But he'd been in love with me for so long, and I was falling for him. It was a slow, but sure, process that would only develop over time.

.

- _BASH -_

I was getting married. The date was set for Valentine's Day, which was a Friday, this coming year. Since it was mid-December, that meant there were two months until I married Mary Stuart.

It was everything I ever wanted but I never expected it to happen like this. This would be the point in a book where the audience goes 'What the fuck?' and probably throws it against the wall (unless it's on their Kindle or iPad, then I don't think they'd do that since those things aren't cheap). Mary was _my_ fiancée now. By some weird twist of fate and by our parents' wills, we were going to be married.

Deep down, I was suspicious about this.

Mary and I returned to the apartment after a couple of hours. And dare I say it… there was tension in the air. We went from nothing to engaged in about five seconds. I wanted to do it properly. I never wanted an arranged marriage. But I would have found a way to make Mary my bride before she married Francis. Maybe I could still do this my way. Maybe.

While Mary went to take a shower, I got on the phone with Stacy who called me again about what we discussed today. I had an idea of how we were going to bring Hugo out and nail him for trying to hurt Mary, but we needed to get to Catherine too. I knew she was behind this. However, the phone call was not one I was expecting…since Stacy told me Hugo had just been fired. By Catherine.

She was trying to cover her tracks. I knew she was. I didn't know how we were going to question him now. My plan wouldn't work.

I thought about the day that Mary and Francis met up at the hotel downtown. Hugo hadn't been where he said he was, and I'd been suspicious about his excuse as to why. Mary was in the shower still, so I could do this quickly without her knowing I left. I walked out of the apartment and went down to my car in the parking garage. I started looking around… there was a bug under my seat. Not an insect… a listening device.

I didn't know what I should do with this. I was so tempted to crush it, but it might be useful. So I called Alec to come over. I was going to give it to him to take to Stacy. I went back to the apartment and started looking around. Mother and Father both had a key to my apartment, and if someone had gotten a hold of that key and made a copy, they could have gotten inside.

Under the couch, I found another one.

So I started tearing the apartment apart. I found another one in my bedroom between my mattresses. I went into Mary's room. There was another one in there.

I didn't have a good feeling about this.

Mary came out of her bathroom, drying her hair off with a towel while her body was wrapped in another one. "What is that?" she asked.

"It's a bug," I answered. "They were all over the apartment. There was one in my car. I think Hugo put them here."

"How did he get into the apartment?"

"He probably stole the key from my mother or my father and made a copy. Then he was here when we weren't and put them in place. The one in my car had to have been placed when we were inside the hotel that first day."

Mary threw the towel in her hands on the bed. "He heard everything."

I nodded. "Alec is on his way to pick them up and take them to Stacy. He could be listening to us right now but I don't care. I want him to know we're onto him."

She nodded and crossed her arms. "Besides… if he's behind this, then Catherine is too."

...

A/N: I should have mentioned this chapters ago but it only occurred to me to do it now. I made a playlist for Mary and Bash (for the show in general, not just for this fic) and it's up on my Tumblr page, so go check it out. Go to samrenee2010 .tumblr .com (without the spaces) - Portfolio - Look under 'Spotlight' (bottom middle column) - Select 'M&B Playlist,' and voila! Chapter 17 coming soon! Please keep reviewing! -heart-


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER 17. ** – GOODBYE TOWN

- _MARY -_

Alec came to pick up the bugs soon after Bash told me about them. I was left curious as to what was going on. Why would someone bug the apartment and the car? It made no sense. If they wanted to kill me, bugging the place wasn't the way to do it. It also made me realize that if there were bugs in the living room and both of our bedrooms, whoever was on the other end—we still suspected Hugo, and with that Catherine—had heard us having sex.

I imagined the worst. The audio leaking out into the public. I already had a crap reputation. I didn't need a sex recording out there too. Bash _certainly_ didn't need it.

The next morning, Stacy the IT girl called Bash. She was coming over to share the information she received while tracking down the serial numbers on the bugs. When she arrived, Bash and I sat down in the living room with her while she opened her laptop. "Hugo _did_ place the bugs," Stacy said, which confirmed what we thought.

But what she said next was _not_ we thought.

"However… he didn't put them there for Catherine." We gave her a look. I had no doubt our expressions were similar. "He put them there… under _Henry's_ orders."

_Henry_?! "What?" I asked in disbelief.

"Apparently it was for your own protection," she said. "Henry came in while I was working with the bugs. He confessed to the whole thing. Apparently he was listening to everything."

It occurred to me that Henry didn't seem particularly moved in any fashion when I revealed Bash and I had slept together. He hadn't reacted at _all_. Because he already _knew_…and he was apparently okay with it. Bash and I exchanged a glance.

Stacy spoke after a few moments of silence. "But Henry suggested that—because you found the bugs and we're still trying to prove the attempts on your life were Hugo working for Catherine—you both leave Malibu for awhile."

Bash shook his head. "I'm sorry, what?" He was confused. So was I.

Stacy handed Bash an envelope. "Inside are two plane tickets to a resort in Bora Bora. Henry apparently knows the owner. Simon Westbrook."

That name rung a bell with Bash. "I know Simon," he said. "He used to work for father in the security department. I was much younger but he was the head of security then."

"Well apparently he was a hotel heir and when his grandfather died, he inherited everything instead of his mother," Stacy said. "Now he hops from hotel to hotel, keeping things in check. Because of his background in security, he's got the top of the line security systems installed in his hotels and guards trained so well you'd think they were former military."

I supposed getting away from Malibu for awhile would help us out. Bora Bora had a two hour time difference (behind) from Los Angeles and it was a nine hour flight, give or take. And apparently in a hotel owned by Simon Westbrook, we'd be safer than ever. Bash and I looked at one another again. I knew he'd want to be here to nail Hugo and Catherine and whoever else she had in on her little plan to kill me, but apparently that wasn't happening.

.

- _BASH -_

We were packed in a few hours and on our flight a few after that. It took roughly nine hours, non-stop, to get to Bora Bora and an hour after that to get to our resort, even with a private transportation. We were given fake IDs and passports to keep our real identities secret so no one would know we were leaving the country. No one but Henry and Stacy were supposed to know back in the states. We were traveling as Andrew and Claire James, an elite married couple from Los Angeles. Apparently we owned a fortune 500 company. We were important guests. I also felt like we were in witness protection.

As we entered the resort, we were greeted by Simon Westbrook himself. "Ahh, Mr. and Mrs. James," Simon said, holding his arms out and slightly open. He put one hand on each of our shoulders on the outside. "Welcome. Please, let me escort you to your quarters."

The resort was actually made up of little huts on the water of Bora Bora. It was beautiful here, there was no denying that. Our hut was a little further off in a more private section of the resort. A VIP hut. Well… we were _important_ people, but I didn't think we were _very_ important people.

Once we were inside, Simon had his workers leave us alone. He shut the door and turned to us. "So… Bash. Mary. Glad to see you made it safe and sound. I'll be reporting to Henry as soon as I return to my office."

"I'm sure he'll be happy to hear it," I told him.

"Indeed. It's been awhile, Bash. You're all grown up now. And engaged to Mary Stuart… practically a Queen in California." Mary blushed. I looked to see her turning away to try and hide it. When I turned back to Simon, he said, "I'll have security roaming the premises at all times. No one knows you're here, but in case something leaks back home, you'll be under the upmost protection."

I nodded. "Thank you, Simon. We appreciate it." Mary nodded in agreement.

Simon smiled and said, "Please let me know if you need anything." We both nodded and then he was on his way.

Mary plopped down on the bed, falling back to look up at the ceiling. She groaned. "Is it possible to be miserable in the most gorgeous place on the planet?"

I squatted down beside my bag to start unpacking. "I'd think 'no' but given your tone, I'd say 'yes.'"

She looked at me. "I can't believe your dad bugged us."

"Neither can I. But I know he didn't have anything to do with this unless he's a been actor than he's given credit for."

"Well considering how many Oscars he has, I wouldn't be surprised."

I shrugged. "I don't know. He just doesn't seem like he'd do it to listen in on us to get dirt." I really did believe my father put the bugs there for our protection. But to have Hugo do it? Maybe at the time, he hadn't suspected Hugo. It just happened to be by chance that Hugo was the one to get into the apartment and my car and put them there.

Mary sighed. "Maybe. Either way, we're stuck in paradise for God knows how long."

I rocked back so I fell on my butt to sit on the floor. Squatting really hurt. Crossing my legs as I started pulling things from my bag, I said, "'Stuck in paradise' is not a phrase people would actually think comes out of someone's mouth."

"I've been here before," she said. "It's fun, don't get me wrong, but I feel like our circumstances take all of the excitement out of it."

"Well," I started, "_I've_ never been here before, so I'm gonna take advantage of it."

Mary rolled over so she was lying on her side and propped up her head with her hand under it. "Have you ever even _been_ outside of California?"

"As matter of fact, I _have_. I've been to Florida."

Before I could rattle off the rest of my list, she said, "Let me guess—Disney World."

The look on my face confirmed it for her. "And Daytona," I said, adding matter-of-factly. "I went for the NASCAR race when I was ten."

"Obviously," she said. NASCAR was such a southern sport, it was ridiculous. Just like football.

"I've also been to New York, Canada, Mexico, and the Bahamas."

"And why, to all four of those?"

"New York was for my senior trip in high school," I answered. "I went with my class and we went to the city. Canada was for one of my mother's relative's birthday when I was thirteen. Huge fiftieth blowout. It was ridiculous." Mary laughed. "Mexico when I was in college. I went with some of my friends for Spring Break."

"Cancun?"

"As luck would have it," I smirked. "And the Bahamas for my twenty-first birthday last year. It was just me, Mother, and Isobel. And Father came about halfway through the week in time for my actual birthday." I was going to be twenty-three next year. Wow… I didn't realize how old I was getting. "I'd ask you where _you've_ been but I have a feeling it's every country on the planet."

"Only Canada, Mexico, England, Scotland, the Netherlands, Ireland, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, French Polynesia, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Chile, and Argentina."

"_Only_?" I asked. "What were you too busy to make it to the North Pole?"

She smiled. "Well it's not exactly the entire world."

I got up and went to put my stuff in the drawers. "Damn near," I said. "So I know you're not planning on having fun, but do you think you can make an exception for me?"

"Maybe," she said. I turned around. She was smirking.

And gave her a half-smile and shook my head. "Yeah, and _maybe_ I'll take my pants off for you tonight." She laughed. "So… since we're here, and we're surrounded by water, it might be a good opportunity for you to learn how to swim."

Mary froze. She didn't seem to like that idea. "S-swim?"

.

We spent the rest of the day in the water outside our hut. I started off small, teaching Mary to just relax and float by herself in the water. It took about two hours before she'd finally let me remove my hands from under her back. To say I was suspicious about her being afraid of the water was an understatement. But I wasn't going to ask about it… yet.

"See," I said as I stood beside her in the water. "You're doing great."

Mary was going to have a panic attack if she didn't relax a little more. I saw her swallow hard and inhale deeply. "Y-yeah. I guess."

"Hey, baby step, right? You'll be a real fish out of water in no time."

"You know this is… the longest I've been in the water in a long time?"

I felt like I was going to get my answer to her fear about being in water. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," she answered. "With the exception of… showers… I haven't been in a body of water of any kind this long since… I was four." She looked terrified.

So it had been almost two decades since then. "Can I ask why?" I asked her. I had a feeling she'd tell me anyway.

The answer didn't come quickly. It was silent for several seconds before she took in a deep breath and let it out. "I… slipped… into a pool. The deep end. I hit my head on the diving board and… and I nearly drowned."

Well that explained why she never got in the pool. She risked it by lying on plastic blow-up floating devices in there, but then again, she always stayed in the shallow end, right next to the edge where it was easy to get out. But I'd never seen her get in the water. The last time was when she nearly drowned after she was drugged. That's what started this whole mess. "I'm sorry," he said.

Mary took another deep breath. "Don't worry about it," she said. "It wasn't your fault. But that's one thing I like about you… getting me to face my fears."

I grinned. "Maybe it'll come in handy one day."

"Yeah," she said, returning the expression. "Or not."

...

A/N: Chapter 18 coming soon! Keep sending the love! :)


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER 18.** – DON'T GIVE IN TO THE HEARTACHE

- _MARY -_

Three days passed. In that amount of time, Bash got me in the water further and further, and our swim lessons slowly progressed. I didn't make much progress. It still scared the shit out of me. The only reason I was making progress at all was because of Bash. To most people, learning how to swim didn't seem like it would be that big of a deal. For me? It was a _huge_ deal.

Aside from the person who was trying to kill me, I was only scared of one other thing—water. Showers didn't bug me because I knew I couldn't drown in a shower (or at least it was damn near impossible). But pools, bath tubs, the ocean…anything of that sort, I was terrified. Ever since my accident when I was a little girl, I could never even consider getting _in_ the water. But Bash got me in that first day. It took awhile, but it happened. And he got me floating by myself, so that was progress.

I wouldn't let him push me under yet, even for a few seconds. My face wasn't allowed to be submerged. I wasn't ready for that yet and Bash understood. Our lessons only lasted a couple hours a day. The rest of the time we laid out on the boardwalk near the hut. It wasn't particularly comfortable without beach chair but it was relaxing. Mr. Westbrook was kind enough to have our meals delivered by a security guard who was an ex-Navy Seal. You wouldn't know that just by talking to him. Nicest guy ever, seriously.

As our third day came to a close, I laid in bed with my laptop watching _Arrested Development_ on Netflix while Bash took a shower. We were supposed to be getting a call from Henry tomorrow morning. We'd know it came in when Mr. Westbrook called us. It made me curious as to what the call was about. No doubt Bash was curious too. I had no idea what to expect.

Bash came out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist, and another one around his shoulders as he tried to dry his hair. He sat down on the bed, swinging his legs up and laid on his side. "So… question."

I hit the pause button on my video and looked at him. "Answer."

He glared at me a little bit and I smirked. "Do you think my father could be behind all of this?"

That shocked me. "I thought you were sure he couldn't be behind it." It wasn't a question.

"I don't but… you know my father. I think he knows more than he's leading on."

Obviously he'd been thinking about this more, going back on what he originally thought. I'd suspected all along since Stacy told us about the bugs that Henry was involved with this a lot more than he wanted to admit. My future father-in-law was a peculiar man. I wasn't exactly sure what his involvement was at this point, but I didn't like it. Henry was a generally nice man, but also mysterious. "I think your father's capable of many things, so… it's possible."

Bash nodded. "Well I just keep thinking about it. And I know what I said but… I might have to take it back."

I knew Bash wasn't trying to be wishy-washy, but that seemed like a quick turnaround. I didn't know exactly what to think, so I didn't know what to tell him.

The next morning we received a call from Mr. Westbrook at eight. We were in his office by eight-thirty and on the phone with Henry in two seconds. "Hugo's disappeared," Henry said. "His place has been vacated. His furniture is still there, but his clothes and toiletries and the works are gone. He emptied his bank accounts and all of his bills are non-sequential so there's no way to track him."

That didn't sit well in my stomach. I put a hand up to my mouth and said, "Oh God, I think I'm gonna be sick." Him running after he'd been fired wasn't a good sign. It had 'guilty' written all over it.

Bash put a hand on my shoulder. "It's okay, I'm right here," he whispered. Back to the phone, which was on speaker, Bash asked his father, "What does this mean now?"

On the other end, Henry said, "We're watching Catherine closely and we've bugged her room, her car… _everything_ we can think of. We need concrete evidence that she was involved in this. I've called some friends of mine in the FBI to help track down Hugo. We'll find him and we'll nail both of them, I promise. You both need to lay low while you're down there. If anyone knows you're there, this is over."

.

- _BASH -_

After our phone call with Henry ended, we went back to our hut and had our brunch delivered. Mary didn't look well. She was scared to death about Hugo being gone, but I had other things on my mind. Was my father really involved? I wanted to be wrong. I _had_ to be. But I couldn't shake that feeling that I wasn't. It was entirely possible that my father was behind this. Maybe not all the way… but somewhat.

The day seemed to go by way too fast. Mary and I didn't get in the water today. Well… _I_ did, but she didn't. She stayed inside the hut for the day, and I couldn't blame her. When I came back in, I laid down beside her on the bed and wrapped my arms around her. "It's gonna be okay," I said. "I promise."

A tear ran down her face. "I don't know who to trust anymore," she whispered. "I feel like the only person I can trust is you."

I slid my hand up to her face and wiped her tears away. "Hey, it's alright," I told her. "I'm not going to let anyone hurt you." Then… the next words just… came out. "I love you."

.

- _MARY -_

Did… he _really_ just say that? _I love you_. Those words were so serious. I was pretty sure my heart stopped when I heard them. I just stared into his eyes and tried to find the words to say. Should I say it back? Did I _really_ love him too? I still wasn't sure I knew what love was at this point in my life. Even though my feelings for Bash were much stronger than my feelings for Francis _ever_ were… I still wasn't sure I should say the words, especially if I didn't mean them. At least not yet.

So… "I…"

Bash put a finger to my lips. "Shh. It's okay. If you don't want to say it yet, I understand. I know it's all so sudden. Say it when you're ready… not because you feel obligated to."

And that's when I knew that Bash was twice the guy Francis would _ever_ be. He was my future.

...

A/N: First of all I want to apologize for not updating yesterday (and that this particular installment is much shorter). If you follow me on Tumblr, you might have seen the post about it so you were already aware. My muse has kind of been crap for the past few days, but that's not the only reason. In the past I've had problems when I reach a certain part of my story where I tend to get very melodramatic. (This is that point in the story.) I don't want to make that mistake here. So... updates _may_ or may not be every other day, or every few days from now on. I need time to really think about the right next step for the story and keep you all interested at the same time. So Chapter 19 will be coming soon. Just remember, it may not be tomorrow. Love you all! xoxo


	19. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER 19.** – I COULDN'T GET AWAY

- _BASH -_

Maybe I shouldn't have said. I knew I promised myself I wasn't going to hold back, and I promised myself that saying 'I love you' was the exception, but in that moment it felt right. It felt like the right time. I might have been kidding myself but…

Actually there was no _but_.

That night I didn't sleep well. I stayed up, watching Mary like I first had when she came to live with me. She seemed to sleep soundly, but I didn't know if she was dreaming about the new horror we'd just learned about. Hugo being M.I.A. wasn't ideal. If he found out where we were, we wouldn't be safe.

It was around three o'clock in the morning that I got up to make myself some coffee. There was no way I was sleeping. I think I got about… an hour? Maybe two, tops. The rest of the time I was watching Mary. So it was either find something to help me sleep… or find something to help me wake up. I went for waking up. I took the coffee and went back to bed, grabbing _Allegiant_ from my bag and started reading. I was close to being finished. I figured I'd get it done quickly. Isobel had a lot of influence in what I read, which was why I'd read the entire _Hunger Games_ trilogy and was almost done with the _Divergent_ trilogy. And, yes, I admit I fell victim to the _Twilight_ saga only because of my nagging cousin. If there was one thing I learned from that series, it was how _not_ to write. So… I guess in a way, it was a good thing I'd read it. It taught me a valuable lesson.

About an hour in, I was near a hundred pages away from being done when I heard Mary talking in her sleep. I wasn't concerned until it sounded like she was starting to hyperventilate, and I put my book down quietly just in case. Within minutes, she started to panic in her sleep. I knew she was having a nightmare. She started screaming and flailing around in her sleep and I grabbed her. "Mary!" I shouted. "Mary, wake up!"

Her eyes flew open. Her breathing was labored and she looked around for a moment before her eyes met mine. "What—I…I don't—?"

"You were having a nightmare," I told her.

She seemed surprised. "I—I wasn't?" I nodded. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm sorry, I—…I don't know what happened."

"It's alright," I said. "I understand. You don't feel safe."

Mary shook her head. "No. No, I don't. We're not safe anywhere people know where we are. Your father knows, people here know, and I know they're sworn to secrecy but anybody can be bought. I don't want to take the chance that someone finds us."

I was confused. "What are you suggesting?"

She looked me dead in the eyes. She was absolutely serious. "That we leave."

.

- _MARY -_

By five-thirty in the morning we were packed and left our hut. We had a cab come pick us up and bought tickets at the airport to New Zealand. It was about six hours in the air before we arrived in Auckland and rented a car to drive outside of the city. We rented a cabin just under four hours away on Lake Taupo, in complete isolation, where no one would find us. At least… that was my intention in planning this whole thing.

I'd spent most of the day before thinking about what was best for us. I wanted to feel safe. I'd dreamt of running away last night. Bash and I leaving Bora Bora so no one—not even _Henry_—could find us. We would be missing in everyone's eyes. That was just the way I wanted it. We were alone now. All alone.

.

A couple more days passed. Our time in New Zealand was quiet. No one bothered us. We made one trip to stock up on food for awhile so we wouldn't have to go back out into the public. The owner of the cabin was under the assumption that we were Andrew and Claire James, our aliases for traveling. He also hadn't seemed to recognize me, which was good because I was a public figure.

I spent some time reading Bash's manuscripts in our room on the morning of the twenty-fifth. Christmas. He sat outside on the porch for awhile and I decided to go join him. So I put the manuscript down and walked outside. I sat in his lap and kissed his forehead. "First Christmas away from the family?" I asked.

He nodded. "I've always been with my mother for Christmas. It feels… a little weird."

I could tell something else was bugging him. "And?" I urged.

"And… I was thinking about Isobel. Her baby's due date was today."

I smiled. "I bet she had a healthy baby if it's come by now." That sounded adorable. A Christmas baby. I knew Bash wished he could have been there for its birth but we didn't have a choice in all of this. We could have stayed in Bora Bora where someone could contact us, but under my suggestion we left and fled to New Zealand.

Bash said, "I think it was a girl. Isobel wanted a boy but… the way she was carrying, according to some old wives tales my mother told me about, I'm almost certain it was a girl."

That made my smile grow wider. "That sounds nice. A little niece for you."

"Well… technically cousin, but I'm practically Isobel's brother so 'niece' works for me too. And I wouldn't mind being an uncle. Though I imagined being a father first since I'm older than Isobel."

"Hey now," I said, "that doesn't mean squat. You could be twenty years older than her and she _still_ could have beat you to parenthood."

He laughed and said, "Yeah but _that_ doesn't sound right to me. Twenty years? Really?" I just laughed in response and kissed him. I'd never really thought about having children. I supposed one day I would have a son or daughter of my own. I always thought I'd have a child with Francis, but now it seemed that—because I was engaged to Bash—I'd be having _his_ child.

.

I didn't realize the irony of my thoughts until two mornings later. I woke up at dawn, feeling nausea running through me and got up out of bed, nearly sprinting to the bathroom. As soon as I hit my knees by the toilet… I threw up.

I felt horrible. I started feeling horrible yesterday and I thought it was maybe something I ate because it didn't hit me until after dinner. But if it was food poisoning, I would have thrown it up last night right?

Then… I remembered what day it was. I was a week late.

That's when I heard his voice. "Mary?"

...

A/N: Dun dun dunnnnn! I know, I'm horrible. It may seem like I hate you all but I really do love you. ... I was thinking of doing a little Q&A with you all in the next couple chapters. If you have any questions about me, or the story, (or the meaning of life) I'd answer them and post them on Tumblr with a link to it here. So let me know if that's something you all want to do. I'll leave instructions in my next author's notes for Chapter 20 and we can go from there if it works out. Chapter 20 IS coming soon though! Keep sending me love (and let me know if you want the Q&A!) :)


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER 20.** – AND I DON'T THINK I CAN LOOK AT THIS THE SAME

- _MARY -_

Oh no.

No no no, Bash couldn't see me like this. Perched over the toilet, puking my guts up. I'd have to tell him I was a week late for my period and he would know I was pregnant. At least I thought I was. I'd never been late for a period in my _life_. Ever since I first got it when I was thirteen, I'd had one like clockwork every single month, twelve months a year. This couldn't be happening. I couldn't be pregnant.

And then… _another_ thought crossed my mind.

Bash wasn't the only guy I'd slept with since the last time I had my period. It scared me to death when I realized that there was a possibility… that _Francis_ could be the father.

No.

"Mary, are you okay?" Bash asked from the other side of the door.

I was trying not to cry. I was only twenty-one. I couldn't be pregnant. It wasn't impossible… hell, Isobel was a year or so younger than me and she was pregnant (or had just had her baby, we didn't know yet), but this wasn't supposed to happen. The thought of having a baby right now didn't sit well with me, no matter _whose_ baby it was. There was no way to know until it was born.

It was either one brother, or the other one.

How could I hide this? Bash and I couldn't leave each other, so I couldn't sneak off into the city to see a doctor without him knowing. And I couldn't get a pregnancy test to take. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck _fuck_.

I flushed the toilet once I was sure I was okay and stood up, grabbing some Kleenex to dry off my face. I'd have to keep this a secret. As long as I could. I didn't know for _sure_ that I was really pregnant, but it was impossible for me to be a week late and _not_ be. Bash couldn't know about this. No one could. Of course, I had no one to tell _but_ Bash… and he wasn't going to find out.

Once I was sure I was presentable, I opened the door. Bash was standing there, looking concerned. "I'm alright," I answered. "I think I ate something bad last night."

He frowned. "Oh. I'm sorry." He kissed my forehead and pulled me close. Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around him. "I hope it's gone now."

"Yeah…" I said. "Me too." Even though… I knew it wasn't _going_ to. Unless I took care of it. And I had no way of doing that.

.

- _BASH -_

I spent the rest of the day writing while Mary took it easy. I thought I heard her throwing up a couple more times, but I didn't say anything. Whatever she ate must have been _really_ fucking bad to make her this sick.

I was pretty much caught up to current time with my writing. I was stalled until something else exciting happened. I thought about going back and writing some 'fantasy' versions of the scenes, but I had nothing to go on. And I was already about two hundred and fifty pages into this new manuscript. I was surprised I had _this_ much material, but when I went back to proof read, I realized I had a _ton_ of detail and a lot of exposition. So it didn't seem all that surprising.

Mary didn't eat anything for dinner and I was a little concerned. But she was still feeling a little nauseous from her food poisoning and I figured she was waiting for it to get out of her system before she ate something else. Her diet for the day consisted of ginger ale which would at least help with the sickness, even though she despised drinking it. I wanted her to get better and I'm glad she went and got a glass herself instead of me forcing her to drink some.

In the morning she seemed to be a little better. I went on a walk down to the water (which… really, it didn't even qualify as a walk since it was about two feet from the cabin) and just looked at the surroundings. We were so secluded out here. It was peaceful. We didn't have a care in the world. No one could find us and be a constant reminder of what was going on back home.

Part of me wanted to be back there. Isobel no doubt had her baby already. I wanted to go home and meet my niece. I was so sure it was a girl. When I got home, that was one of the first things I was going to do… go see Isobel and my new niece. I had that feeling I was an uncle already. Now I just had to wait on pins and needles to go home.

It really had me thinking about becoming a father. Mary and I would probably have a child once we'd been married for a couple of years. I didn't want to rush into it too quickly. After all, I was only going to be twenty-three this year. Granted, my mother was about this age when she had me, but still… I didn't want to rush. There was no need. And, actually, there was no need for Mary and I to rush into getting married. But that was forced out of…well, I'd say contractual obligation, but… really? Was there an actual document the Valois and Stuart families had signed? I'd never seen it. I bet Mary never had either.

"Mr. James!" I heard a voice call out. I turned to look and see it was the owner of the grounds.

"Mr. Carson," I greeted. "What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you could come with me," he said. "Just for a few moments, there's a few things I forgot to have you sign for the cabin."

I nodded. "Of course." He gestured with one arm to the direction he'd come from and I walked by his side the entire way there, which was about a mile and a half to the main cabin where he and his wife resided. As soon as I got there, I knew something was off. It was too quiet in the cabin. My mental red flags sprung up.

And I knew it as soon as someone grabbed me from behind and covered my mouth with a towel, cutting off my air supply.

.

- _MARY -_

When Bash didn't come home after awhile, I started to get worried. I'd seen him walk away with Mr. Carson but I figured he would have returned by lunch time. He didn't. I had no way to contact him. And I was scared to death to leave the cabin. So I made sure all of the doors and windows were locked, and the blinds were shut, before I sat on the couch in the living room and waited with my legs pulled up to my chest.

I kept a bucket by my side to throw up in since it seemed like this morning sickness was horrible. Added to my anxiety and I was basically a train wreck now. I didn't like it. Not at all. There were so many things I was stressed out about, I didn't need _one_ more thing like being pregnant, or Bash not coming home.

Five o'clock rolled around and Bash still hadn't returned. Now I was terrified. I thought the worst. Surely Mr. Carson would have come and gotten me if anything happened to him, right? Right?

Then there was a knock on the cabin door.

I cautiously got up. I slowly walked over to the door and looked through the peephole. There was no one there. But I wasn't taking the chance that someone was out there, waiting for me around a corner. So I went and peeked through all of the blinds around the cabin and saw nothing. I went back to the door and opened it.

There was a note there with my name on it.

_**MARY STUART**_

Whoever left it knew who I was. I picked it up and quickly shut the door, locking it and put my back against it. I opened the letter quickly and as I read it, I began shaking.

_If you ever want to see your precious Sebastian again, you'll be at the main cabin at eight o'clock. One minute later and he dies._

...

A/N: I had this ready last night. I had a good run of muse for some reason (though I'm not complaining) so that's why you get the chapter today! FOREWARNING: There's probably only about 3 chapters left, give or take. But thanks to Carol (who runs Torrance's fan site), I have a seed planted for a new story. It's another AU so I'll be starting that as soon as I finish this little gem. :) Chapter 21 coming soon!


	21. Chapter 21

**CHAPTER 21.** – NOW YOU'RE HANGING ON THE EDGE OF TOMORROW

- _MARY -_

I got in contact with the people back home. It would be several hours before they could even get to New Zealand from the States, but Henry was already contacting Mr. Westbrook in Bora Bora, who could make it there in half the time. Still… it might not be enough. I would have to face this without any kind of security. They had Bash. My anxiety went through the roof. I felt like I was going to have a full fledged panic attack. This was all my fault. They found us… and we had no security out here.

Around eight o'clock—just a few minutes before, actually, I walked in through the front door of the main cabin. It was eerily quiet inside. I heard footsteps moments later and jumped as I turned around. It was Hugo. "Ms. Stuart," he said.

"Where's Bash?" I asked.

"Come with me. Cooperate, and he'll be fine."

I knew I had no choice. So I went with him. He put me in the back seat of a limo with two armed men. I put my hand, instinctively, to my belly as if to protect the baby I wasn't even sure was really there.

The illegal ass window tint on the limo prevented me from seeing where we were going. I just sat there, watching the men as they kept their eyes glued to me and their fingers near the triggers of their guns. If I tried anything they'd kill me, and then they'd kill Bash. I wouldn't allow that to happen. As much as I wanted to fight back, I couldn't risk Bash's life and the life of the possible baby growing inside my womb.

But…hell, it could have been too late for that already.

There was no clock in the limo. I didn't know how much time passed between me getting in the limo and going there. But it seemed like forever. Eventually… I fell asleep. I knew this because when I woke up, it was because I was being shaken by Hugo. "Wake up," he said. I looked at him once my eyes were open. "Get out," he told me.

I stepped out of the limo. It was pitch black outside from what I could see as the door of a massive warehouse shut. There were armed guards everywhere. The area was open for the most part with the exception of a few vehicles and several armed men. Hugo grabbed my arm and pulled me all the way across the warehouse to a door on the very far right corner, which lead to a ridiculously narrow hallway and then an elevator at the end of it. Hugo threw me inside of it.

"Take it up to the fifth floor. You'll find what you're looking for up there."

Cautiously, I looked at the buttons to the elevator. All of them were broken except for floor number five. So… I really had no choice but to push it. When I did, the doors closed… and I was left alone.

The elevator went up at a steady pace, but too slow for me. I needed to find Bash and discover who was trying to kill me. They were using him to _get_ to me. But how did they find us? It didn't make any sense. We'd been so careful to go undetected to New Zealand from Bora Bora. And we made it nearly a week before it all went to hell.

It was someone on the inside. I know it was. But who? Who hated me enough to want me dead? Catherine was the obvious answer. She'd always been. I was anticipating seeing her behind all of this. I wanted to be there to watch her suffer when she was put in an orange jumpsuit and put on trial for the things she'd done—including killing Aylee.

The elevator jerked to a stop. The door opened on their own. I stepped out into a dark room. There were lamps hanging from the ceiling, on, so I could tell the room was fairly big. In fact, it was _huge_. It was like this was another warehouse attached to the other one.

As I walked slowly towards the center, I saw a slight glow coming from the center, but it was coming from below. I was abruptly stopped by railings that blocked off a large bowl in the ground, almost like a pool but ten times bigger. It was empty. In the center of it all was where the glow came from. A glass box sat inside the perimeter of the lights… and inside the box…

"Bash!" I called out. I screamed as loud as I could. "BASH!"

Bash turned around. He saw me and started banging on the glass. I could see his lips moving, but I couldn't hear him. There was no way to get down to the box. Everything was guarded off and the railing was too high for me to climb and jump over.

"Bash!" I screamed. "Bash, I can't hear you! Are you okay?!" He kept banging on the glass and he kept talking but I still couldn't hear him. So I started looking around for _something_…_anything_ to help me. The arena was too big. I felt like I was in some sick episode of _Criminal Minds_, and slightly like I was in _The Hunger Games_. There was nothing I could use. As I was running around, trying to find _anything_ to use to communicate with Bash, I tripped.

I landed hard on my front, and cried out in pain. It hurt like a bitch. The floor was cement. It wasn't the most comfortable thing to land on.

Suddenly, the rest of the lights came on. They blinded me and I had to close my eyes, covering my face with my arm as I tried to push myself up with the other one. I looked around. There was only one thing not lit up. It looked like a booth, higher above me on the opposite side of the arena from where I stood.

Then… a voice came over the speakers.

"Hello, Mary," it said. _It_ was a male. Not a female. I suspected this was the person behind all of this. The puppet master, if you will.

"Who are you?" I asked. "What do you want?" I was turning every which way to see where the speakers were located.

"I thought you had it figured out by now," he said. "I want you dead."

"Then why not just kill me?" I asked. "Why the big spectacle?"

"Well where's the fun in _that_? I want to watch you suffer first." Whoever this person was, he was truly sadistic. He had a dark soul.

But I felt like I knew this voice. It sounded like a voice all too familiar to me…one that I'd known my whole life. "Show yourself! I want to see the man who's behind the attempts on my life! I want to see the person responsible for putting Kenna in harm's way! I want to see the person who killed Aylee!"

"Well that would be Hugo," he said. "He _technically_ did those things."

"He's your puppet!" I shouted. "_You're_ the master planner behind this whole operation! You're too much of a coward to do your own dirty work!"

"Oh, Mary, that hurts. I thought you knew me better than that."

That confused me. "WHO ARE YOU?!" I shouted, bloody murder, in absolute frustration, needing to know who the hell this son of a bitch was. "SHOW YOURSELF!"

"Now that wouldn't be any fun either," he said. "I'll reveal myself to you but… first we're going to play a game."

I heard a noise, and suddenly the glass box Bash was in was rising up in the center of the arena. It was supported by steel rods in all four corners. As it came up, I noticed the top opening.

"Bash!" I shouted.

"Mary!" he shouted back. "Are you alright?!"

"I'm fine, are you?! Who's behind this?!"

"I don't know," he answered, "And I'm alright. Just get me out of here!"

Then, the voice spoke again, "In order to do that, Sebastian, she has to play a game… and _win_."

Another loud noise. I looked up at the ceiling as I felt a slight breeze come in, and down from the top came a rope. Not just a rope… a noose. It slid down around Bash's neck… and I instantly started panicking.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I shouted.

"We're going to play a game, Mary," he said.

"Yes I understood that the _first_ time of the three you've said it. What _kind_ of game, you sadist?!"

"Isn't it obvious, Mary?" There was an eerie moment of silence. And then…

Finally, he spoke again.

"We're going to play Hangman."

...

A/N: Chapter 22 coming soon! (I know, I'm evil. Hehe.) -heart-


	22. Chapter 22

**CHAPTER 22.** – BUT YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO CUT ME OFF

- _MARY -_

He wouldn't dare. He wouldn't dare kill Bash in front of me by hanging him. I stood in disbelief and growing anger, walking towards the railing. "You wouldn't kill him!" I shouted at the dark, empty booth.

"Wanna bet?" the voice said.

Just then I heard Bash cry out. Somehow the noose was tightening around his neck. It must have been rigged to be operated by a remote. It felt like I was shot through the heart. Bash reached up and grabbed at the noose to try and release it but he couldn't. I couldn't watch it. "Okay!" I finally said. "I'll play your game!"

The glass window of the booth lit up. There were five words, one single letter, all blanked out for me to solve. "Now," the voice said. "Every time you guess a letter right, the box will rise. Guess wrong, it drops. If you opt to solve the puzzle and you get it wrong, Bash will die. Do you understand?"

"I do," I answered. I looked at Bash, whose hands were still gripped at the rope around his neck. I wanted to tell him it would be okay but I couldn't know that for sure. So I looked back at the puzzle. I had to make careful decisions. This phrase could be anything. There were twenty-six letters of the alphabet. Five vowels. Some of the letters were probably used multiple times. The odds there was a Q or an X in the phrase were slim to none. That left me with about twenty-four letters and millions of possibilities.

So I chose a seemingly random letter. "F!"

There was a loud buzzer and I had to cover my ears. The letter F appeared off to the side with a slash through it. And Bash cried out as the box dropped just a bit, but enough to make it hurt.

There was one single letter. Either an A or an I. They were the only logical options. "I!" I called out.

The I appeared in the single space.

I watched the box rise back up. I closed my eyes in relief. _Thank God_. I analyzed the puzzle a little more. The chances that the other four vowels were included were good. Not great, but good. So I decided to chance it. "O!"

- O - - O - - - - - - - I - - - - - O - - O -

That went better than I expected. The box rose a little again. One of the remaining words was a two letter word. If it had the letter O in it, it could be preceded by a D, G, N, S, or T. The O's and the I weren't telling me much yet, but I had to try. "D!"

- O - - - OD - - - - - I - - - D - O - - O -

Not exactly what I was expecting but at least I was right. The box rose again. I had to think quickly but thoroughly. If D wasn't attached with the O, then the word wasn't 'DO.' The word before it ended in a D, but that didn't tell me a whole lot. It was actually kind of frustrating. "G!" I finally called out.

I heard the buzzer again and Bash cried out as the box dropped. _Damn it!_ The G appeared next to the F with a slash through it. Without thinking, I called out "T!"

It was a good thing I did.

- O - - - OD - T - - T I - - - D TO - - O -

The four letter word that began and ended with T seemed like it was a particular word. It stuck out to me. So I called out, "A!" and seconds later I watched it appear on the screen as the box rose.

- O - - - OD - T - AT I - - - D TO - - O -

"H!"

- O - - - OD - THAT I - - - D TO - - O -

_That I_. Two words completed together. That still didn't help but it was something.

I had to try the rest of the vowels now. So I called out, "E!"

The box rose.

- O - E - OD - THAT I - - ED TO - - O -

"U!"

It rose again.

- O - E - OD - THAT I U - ED TO - - O -

I knew the phrase. That was enough to tell me what it was. I knew I was risking Bash's life by solving the puzzle with eight letters left to solve, but I knew it in my gut what it was.

"Somebody That I Used To Know! That's the phrase!"

The letters filled in all at once.

SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW

I looked to the center. The rope dropped from the top of the ceiling and Bash quickly got it off from around his neck, tossing it over the top.

"Very good, Mary," the man behind the screen said. "Would you like to guess who I am?"

I had no idea who he was. He was taunting me. But why? Why the game to make me gamble with Bash's life, only to go back on the promise that he would reveal himself after the game.

Or maybe… he already _had_ revealed himself.

The puzzle. _Somebody that I used to know_. There weren't a lot of people from my past that would come back to try and kill me. I didn't make a lot of enemies when I was a child. But _used_ was past tense. It had to be from the past. Unless it was a play on the words. Maybe someone I _thought_ I knew?

Someone I _thought_ I knew.

"I know who you are!" I said.

The look on my face must have said it all. The glass window of the booth suddenly rose up. Suddenly a light slowly brightened the area. And a figure stepped closer…

- _BASH -_

I had no way of knowing who was behind this. All clues seemed to point to Catherine but when a male voice came over the speakers, I knew I was wrong. Hugo had been working for someone else. It didn't mean Catherine wasn't involved, but she wasn't the one pulling the strings. Hugo was doing someone else's dirty work for a change.

My life being put in danger meant one of two things: Someone was either jealous of me, or someone just wanted to watch Mary suffer. The first option didn't seem like it was real enough… not until after Mary solved the puzzle and figured out who was behind this. I was still left in the dark. My neck was in pain from the tight grip of the noose and my mind was elsewhere. But I looked when I was Mary's eyes widen after I happened to look up from rubbing my neck.

Turning… I saw the figure standing in the open window. It wasn't Catherine. It wasn't even my father. It was… the _one _person I never would have suspected.

"_No_."

...

A/N: Happy Oscar Night, everyone! You're all my winners so here's a new chapter! My muse is pretty good and I know exactly what I'm doing without getting melodramatic (although I guess that's up to the jury to decide lol) so you can expect regular updates. Chapter 23 coming soon! xo


	23. Chapter 23

**CHAPTER 23.** – I'M GOING UNDER

- _MARY -_

I stood in disbelief. I knew I'd recognized that voice. A voice I'd known all my life… a voice I'd grown up with. Even as I stood there, eyes wide and mouth dropped, I couldn't let it register that… _he_ was the one behind the attempts on my life;… that _he_ was the one who wanted me dead.

"Surprised?" he asked.

"You could say that," I answered.

"I figured."

"Why? Why do you want me dead?" I asked. It made no sense. We were supposed to… and… _why_? I couldn't even finish my thoughts. It was the absolute _last_ thing I ever expected.

He glared. "_Why_? Because you _betrayed_ me."

Now I was even more confused. "I _betrayed_ you? How?" I couldn't remember anything I'd ever done to him that was so bad he wanted to _kill_ me.

It seemed to surprise him that I didn't know what he was talking about. Obviously I should have known, but I had no idea what I was supposed to know or remember. What had I ever done to possibly hurt him? Well I could certainly name so many things _he'd_ done to _me_ that it would fill the Grand Canyon. "You really don't know?" he asked. I shook my head. "The _drugs_?"

I shook my head. "What about them?"

"YOU WERE THE ONE WHO TOLD EVERYBODY!"he screamed at me.

Oh. _That_. Before the night that shall not be brought up again (the first one), I'd told his parents about the drugs. I was concerned. Apparently he hadn't learned his lesson because he still had them in his possession after that day. "You're upset about _that_?"

"Not just because of that," he said. "What happened to me _after_." I had no idea what he was talking about. The blank look on my face must've said it all. "My father had me _locked up_ for _two days_. He had men _torment_ me with drugs while I was strapped down to a chair. And after you found out about them the second time? He made it _worse_. That's why I tried to kill you the first time… and killing Aylee the second time was to send you a message. I wanted you to feel the pain that _I_ felt."

It hit me then. "That's why you didn't come to Aylee's funeral."

"Oh, she got one," he said, sarcastically. "Congratulations, Mary."

There was a loud banging noise and I looked to see Bash banging on the glass. "That's _enough_! You will _not_ speak to her like that!"

"I'LL DO WHATEVER THE HELL I WANT!" he screamed at Bash.

It was silent for a few more moments. I didn't know what to do. He was determined. He was going to make sure I was dead before he walked out of here. This was the last place I would see in my life. I would die in this room.

He was seemingly calm now. "You played gallantly, Mary. But unfortunately I have to tell you that's not that real game."

My heart stopped. "W-what?"

"Oh come on, that was too easy," he said. "Weren't you the least bit suspicious that you solved it so quickly? If that was the real game I would have made you struggle a little… and watch Bash die." I shook a little. "But fortunately for me… you're still going to watch Bash die." He nodded towards Bash.

I looked again. Something was different this time. The box Bash was in was lowering, but this time… the bowl wasn't empty. No… it was filling up with water. I hadn't even noticed. The water was so quiet, but so fast that the bowl was nearly full. I panicked inside. _No_, I thought.

He was going to make me watch Bash drown.

- _BASH -_

I still couldn't believe it. My own brother. Never in a million years would I have thought it. His reasons weren't valid, though. He was a spoiled rich brat who got everything he wanted and when someone hurt him, he wanted revenge. He was exactly like his mother. I was blessed, in that moment, to know I wasn't related to him one hundred percent in blood, and especially not from that side. I felt bad for what happened to him, I did. Our father… he could be relentless sometimes in his methods. Harsh. _Beyond_ harsh in this case. But he'd needed to learn a lesson. Poor baby just couldn't take it.

End sarcasm.

I'd wondered what the holes at the bottom of the box were for and I suddenly understood when I felt my feet get wet when he indicated me to Mary. Oh my God… he was trapping me in a box and forcing Mary to watch me drown.

"Don't do this!" she shouted to him. I was too focused on finding a way out of the box. The top had closed when I was focused on his and Mary's conversation. There was no way to open it from the inside. I tried punching it and kicking it but the glass was too thick. I was trapped. There was no way out of here.

I was going to die.

- _MARY -_

"Too late," he said. "You're going to have to watch your precious fiancé die. Then you can watch me kill _you_."

The lights turned off in the booth. I looked at Bash, who was up to his waist in water… or at least the box was. How fast it was actually filling up inside, I had no idea.

He knew I hated the water. That's why he'd done this. I was shaking just thinking about the water… how terrified I was of it. But Bash would die if I didn't try to free him. It was a long shot… but I had to try. I had to face my fear. Bash had got me in the water before. Granted, I'd never gone under completely but...

I had to try. I had to. For Bash.

I pulled my shoes off quickly and started running around the fence to try and find _some_ way into the bowl area. There was nothing, and by this point, the box was damn near under the water… maybe a couple inches to spare. I found no way in. So I started looking around once more for _anything_ to help. And luckily I found some bolt cutters. I picked up the tool and took it to the fence, snapping the wires one at a time until I had an opening big enough that I could slide through. As I did, I scratched myself on the sharp metal, feeling it dig into my skin and leave it in pain. I ran to the pool but skidded to a stop once I hit the edge.

My panic attack set in again.

_Breathe, Mary. You can do this._

Oddly enough it wasn't my voice in my head. It was Bash's. I knew he had faith in me. I just had to have faith in myself.

So… I stepped off.

...

A/N: As you can see I'm trying my hardest to drag this out so you all get your money's worth. (Not that you're paying for this haha.) I know I said a couple chapters ago there were probably only a couple more, but hopefully this will allow for a few more. Chapter 24 coming soon! Keep sending the love! If y'all are good little reviewers (hint, hint) I'll do a double update one day this week. -heart-


	24. Chapter 24

**CHAPTER 24.** – WITH A BROKEN HEART THAT'S STILL BEATING

- _MARY -_

I tried to hold my breath and struggled in the water, pushing my way to the top after I jumped. I came up, gasping for air, flailing around in a full on panic attack. All of the memories of drowning in the pool when I was a little girl came back and I felt like it was happening again. I couldn't do this. I couldn't go under again. The water terrified me. No matter what I wasn't going to get over my fear in a second. Not even to save Bash.

What I did after was swim over to the chain that was holding on to the box, still lowering it into the bowl that was now full of water. I looked down and could barely see Bash. He was just a blur. I couldn't tell if the box was full or not, but I had to find a way to get him out.

Swimming back over to the edge, I pulled myself out and grabbed the bolt cutters. It was a long shot, but I thought maybe it the chains were heavy enough they could drop on the top of the box and break it. The chains seemed sturdy enough. I struggled to swim back over, holding the bolt cutters in one hand and using my other arm to grab at the water and pull while both of my legs kicked. I wasn't a professional swimmer, nor would I ever be. That was the best I could do, especially with how terrified I was.

I used all of my strength to squeeze the bolt cutters once I had them around one of the chains. They were ten times thicker than the wire of the fence I'd just cut, where I had to put no effort into it at all (or just _barely_ any). They were so thick, at one point I thought I was going to lose the bolt cutters. I was squeezing so tight and my hands were soaking wet. But finally I got it. I moved to the other side and put all of my energy into cutting that one.

The rest of the chain disappeared into the water and I looked down, kicking my feet around to keep myself afloat. I couldn't see anything. After a few moments when nothing appeared to change, I sighed. _No no no_, I thought. What was I going to do?

As hard as it was to admit… I had to go back under the water.

There was nothing else for me to do here. I had to dive under and go down to the box.

_You can do it, Mary. I believe in you._

Bash's voice in my head reminded me that his life was at stake. I needed to get him out. If I didn't face my fear, he would die. So I closed my eyes and took in a slow, deep breath. Once I was sure I had air, I dove in.

It was difficult to swim under the water, holding the bolt cutters and keeping my eyes open in the water. The pool was so deep. The box had hit the bottom already and the chain I'd just cut was sitting on top of it. Bash was floating near the top of the box. It wasn't full yet but he didn't have a lot of air left. Pretty soon he was going to be completely submerged.

I swam around the box, examining it closer. Where the chain was attached appeared to be a handle. I put the bolt cutters under one of my arms and grabbed it with both hands, trying to yank it open. Nothing. My only weapon was the bolt cutters. So I let go of the handle and went back down further.

Bash was submerged now. He was holding his breath, and I swear to God he was turning blue. He put his hand on the glass and I put mine over it.

I nodded forward with my head, trying to tell him to get back. The only way I was going to break him free was with the bolt cutters. And the only way I could do that… was if I started swinging the weapon at the box.

Even after I urged Bash to get back, I saw the air leave his mouth. He was drowning now. Choking on the water. I had to act now, whether he got back or not. So I took the bolt cutters in my hands and, with as much force as I could, I swung them at the box.

It cracked.

I swung again… and again… and finally again. Each time with more force than the last, willing myself despite the degree of difficulty the water presented. Bash went limp and started sinking to the bottom of the box just as I broke the glass and it started floating everywhere. I dropped the bolt cutters and swam for Bash, grabbing his shirt and pulling him out. I had to use all of my remaining energy to kick up to the surface.

I didn't make it.

I accidentally tried to take a breath when my lungs felt like they were on fire. I let go of Bash and he sunk down to the bottom while I choked on the water. My hands grabbed at my throat. I struggled in the water, and eventually… I blacked out.

.

All of a sudden… I was in a hospital room. I woke up to a bright light shining around me and monitors beeping. There was something weird in my nose… oxygen. There were wires all over me. Was I dead? Was heaven like a hospital?

I couldn't have been dead… because my mother was there.

"Oh, Mary!" she said and leaned forward in her chair to kiss my head. "Oh sweetheart, you're alright."

I tried to speak but my mouth was dry. My mother gave me a cup of water with a straw and I slowly sucked some into my mouth. It felt relieving. When I cleared my throat, I laid back down. "Where… where's Bash?"

"Bash is fine," Mother told me. "He's in another room."

"What happened?"

"Mr. Westbrook and his team arrived just in time. They found you both at the bottom of the pool. He and another team member performed CPR before the paramedics arrived."

So it was Mr. Westbrook who saved us. Had he arrived any later, we could have died. It was a close call. Then something else occurred to me. "Mom, I… before… all of this… I think I was…" I couldn't finish it.

"Pregnant?" she asked. I nodded. "You were, honey. I'm sorry… but the baby didn't make it. You had a miscarriage. You were bleeding when Mr. Westbrook pulled you out."

I felt tears come to my eyes. I'd been pregnant. I'd been pregnant and I lost the baby. "Do… do they know… how far I was?"

"About three and a half weeks," she answered.

I choked back my tears. Three and a half weeks along was a week and a half after conception. Which meant… it was Bash's baby. Not Francis'. And while I was relieved it wasn't _his_ baby after what he did to us, I was still heartbroken. My mother wrapped her arms around me and I let out my sobs. Mine and Bash's baby was dead. Dead before it had even begun to grow.

As I clutched to my mother, I looked up and saw Henry come in with Catherine behind him. "Hello, Mary," Henry said. "It's good to see you awake."

I only had one question for him. "Where's Francis?"

"On his way back to the United States in handcuffs, escorted by several well armed guards," he answered. "We captured most of his 'army' and they're all detained as well. Our son won't be seeing the light of day for a long time."

That gave me hope. The attempts on my life would hopefully end. I couldn't know that for sure because it was possible Francis still had connections outside and would send them after me. But I was sure Henry would continue to do everything he could to protect me.

.

- _BASH -_

When I woke up, I was in the hospital. My mother was by my side with Isobel and Alec… and my new niece. I knew it. Deep down in my heart, I knew it was a girl. The first person I saw was the precious baby in my cousin's arms. Dianna. Isobel was going to call her Annie, so not to confuse her with my mother. Her middle name was Sabine, which was the closest thing Isobel could get to 'Sebastian.' Dianna Sabine Durand. She was perfect. And born on Christmas Day, her due date. We had a Christmas baby in the family. I asked to hold her, and though my mother said I was too weak, I didn't care. Isobel put her in my arms, and I smiled. The feeling of holding that little girl filled me up with such joy. I never thought I'd get to meet her.

"Is Mary alright?" I asked my mother as I held Annie in my arms.

Mother nodded. "She's fine, Sebastian. She's in a room down the hall, still unconscious last I heard." She told me how we were rescued and how they captured Francis as he tried to escape. There was no way he was going to be walking freely any time soon. He had two counts of attempted murder on his hands. Plus two accounts of kidnapping, even though Mary came willingly to rescue me. It was still all the same.

There was a knock on my door. I looked up and saw Mary standing there with the aid of her mother on one side and a mobile monitor on the other. "Hi," I said, relieved to see her up, a smile crossing my lips.

"Hi, Bash," she said with a small smile that matched mine. "Are you alright?"

I nodded. "Please, come in." Marie escorted her inside. "Are you?" I asked her.

She said, "I am," with a small nod. "Is this your niece?" she asked, though she already knew judging by her tone of voice.

"Yes," I smiled brighter. "Dianna Sabine Durand. Annie."

A faint grin touched her lips. "She's beautiful," Mary said, looking from Annie to Isobel.

"Thank you," Isobel said.

Mary looked back at me. "Could we speak? Alone?"

I nodded. "Of course." I handed Annie back to her mother and the others left the room. My mother was the last out. She closed the door and we were left alone. I looked back at Mary. "What's going on?"

...

A/N: I probably won't update tomorrow since tomorrow is the big day and we get the wedding episode so I'll be an emotional wreck. (Yes I'm aware it's Tuesday and only Canada gets it on Wednesday but I'm the master of finding online links so I'll get it tomorrow. :p) But I'll make you all a deal. If I get at least TEN reviews on this chapter, I'll do a double update on FRIDAY of this week. (There's a possibility the story will also end at that point but still... ;]) So... ten reviews on Chapter 24 and you'll get both Chapter 25 and Chapter 26 on Friday. -heart-


	25. Chapter 25

**CHAPTER 25.** – THIS HEART, THIS MIND, NEEDS TO BE TREATED A LITTLE MORE TENDER

- _MARY -_

Sitting in the room, I knew it was now or never. There was absolutely no reason I had to tell him now that I'd miscarried the baby… but he had every right to know about it. And… why would I hide it from him? I took a deep breath. "I… have something I need to tell you. A couple of days ago… when I was sick and said I had food poisoning? That was… a lie."

Bash seemed confused. "A lie?" he asked, shaking his head a little, looking for me to elaborate.

I looked down at my hands on my thighs and took a deep breath again, closing my eyes, and exhaling slowly to keep my nerves down. When I finally opened my eyes and looked back up, I told him, "I thought I was… pregnant." His face reacted to that, but he didn't say any words. So I continued. "I was."

His eyes widened a little. "_Was_?"

The tears sprung to my eyes. "I miscarried it," I confessed. "The doctor… he said the stress and anxiety I was feeling, plus the physical task of trying to rescue you and holding my breath is probably what killed our baby."

Bash leaned forward and wrapped an arm around me. That's when I began sobbing, especially as he pulled my closer and wrapped his other arm around me. I cried into his shoulder while he shushed me and told me it was going to be alright. It really wasn't. I'd just killed our baby. Not intentionally… but I'd been responsible for its life. Now it was gone.

I looked up at him. "Bash… I realized something when you were trapped in the box… about to drown… and I thought I was going to lose you. I have to say it now." I put a hand on the side of his face and said, "I love you."

.

- _BASH -_

It was the first time she said it. _I love you_. And I knew she really meant it too. Despite having just found out that she'd been pregnant and lost the baby, I was the happiest man in the world. We could always make another baby… one day in the future when we were really ready. I didn't want to do anything else in the world but kiss her. So I did.

.

We were discharged from the hospital the next day. Mary was given a drug to 'complete' the miscarriage and get the fetus out of her body. Apparently she was supposed to bleed it out like her period. That sounded disgusting to me.

By New Years Eve, we were back in the States. Mary laid in my arms in my bed at the apartment where it felt so good to be home. It was close to midnight and we were watching the local New Years program as they prepared to count down to 2014. The last few months made me want to put this entire year behind me. It was time for a fresh start.

If Father had his say… I'd be married by the end of February.

Mary looked up at me. "I was thinking about something."

"Oh yeah?" I asked. "What's that?"

"I don't want to get married," she said. "Not on their terms. I want to get married on _our_ terms. And I think after all we went through, we should get a say in our own lives."

It surprisingly felt amazing to hear her say that. Despite how much I loved her and wanted to be with her, I knew I didn't want to marry her so soon, and especially not out of forced obligation from a third party. I smiled and said, "Then I think we need to have a talk with our parents."

.

"Excuse me?!"

Father looked pissed. Mary and I stood there, dead serious. We were cancelling our own wedding so we could do things our way. Her mother looked like she might faint. But…_my_ mother just sat there, looking calm. Of the three of them, I'd expected her to take this the easiest. Father and Marie, on the other hand, looked like they'd just been murdered.

"You heard us," I said. "We won't be getting married in February. In fact, we won't be getting married on any set date. _We_ will decide when we want to get married… and if that means eloping without anyone there, then so be it."

Mary spoke as well. "You can disown us if you want. Take away everything. But we'll find a way to still have everything. As long as we have each other, that's all that matters. We don't need to be married in order to do that."

Her mother, hand pressed to her heart, said, "I can't believe I'm hearing this. It's outrageous!"

"No, Mother," Mary said. "What's outrageous is that it's 2014 and you think we still live in a day and age where it's acceptable to arrange marriages for your children. You will not force us to get married. We will do things our own way. And if that displeases you, then I'm sorry… but you will not force our hands."

The bickering went back and forth for about another twenty minutes before Mary's mother finally disowned her, and Father disowned and _fired_ me. We left the Valois Villa feeling accomplished. Sure, we'd just lost everything… but that was alright. Because technically we didn't lose _everything_.

In the car on the way back, Mary asked, "So what the hell are we gonna do now?"

I smirked. "Well… I have an idea about that."

"Oh yeah, you wanna share it with me?"

We hit a red light so I came to a stop before I looked at her. "How do you feel about my manuscripts going public?"

Her eyes widened. "Really? You sure that's smart?"

No, it wasn't smart, but it was what I wanted. "I want people to know our story. I want them to know what really happened. Even through all of my pain, and then _our_ pain, they need to know what an ordeal this was for us. I was always skeptical about minoring in Creative Writing in college, thinking it would never come to use, but I finally found the reason how it _can_."

A faint grin touched her lips. "If that's what you want then… it's what I want too."

...

A/N: One last chapter, also coming at you today, as promised, since I got TEN REVIEWS on Chapter 24! I wrote both of them yesterday and it's really super early in the morning as I'm posting this and I'm up for work. I'll update by the end of the day, don't you worry. You'll all be satisfied with the ending. :]


	26. Chapter 26

**CHAPTER 26.** _(EPILOGUE)_ – NOTHING STRONGER

EIGHTEEN MONTHS LATER

- _MARY -_

June 2015. It seemed like the time had flown by. I stood in the dressing room of the Las Vegas chapel, staring at myself in the full length mirror. I'd come so far since the beginning of my new life, but I loved the change that had come with it. Bash's novel had reached number one on the New York Times Bestsellers list and remained there for three straight months, much to our surprise. A lot of the book had helped in the trial against Francis, which began in November of 2014 and he was found guilty of all counts in early January this year. His sentence was life in prison without chance of parole. He'd done it to himself. Even his money and fame couldn't save him. He'd royally fucked up.

Bash and I suddenly became a golden couple in Hollywood. Our story was going to be turned into a movie, which he was writing the screenplay for. I was helping and giving my input, but it was all him since I wasn't gifted in that department like he was. Bash actually helped me find my gift—dancing. I started a dance studio in West Hollywood right after the book was released in August and taught classes three times a week to people of all ages. My favorite was working with the little kids. My biological clock actually started ticking really badly after a few weeks.

We were enjoying our life together. The two of us, now living in a mansion in Holmby Hills not too far from the _Playboy_ mansion where we'd become good friends with some of the people up there. I wasn't planning on doing a nude pictorial for _Playboy_ magazine any time soon, but Bash and I had already done a few risqué photo shoots together. It was our way of rubbing it in our families' faces that we were successful without them. Maybe it was childish—or definitely—but we didn't care. And we had a rally of people behind us, which even surprised _us_ because of how much love we were getting.

It was just two nights ago that Bash and I had been laying in bed together and he asked me to marry him. Now here we were—in Las Vegas at Graceland Chapel (predictable, we know), about to get married. On our own terms, we were doing this. I couldn't be happier.

Isobel was our witness. She had Annie with her, who was the most precious baby girl in the world. She was almost nineteen months old. Time was _flying_ by. Bash and I were her Godparents. Isobel had graduated from college and moved in with us at the mansion. She now worked as our publicist, training with the best people in the business. There was no one more defensive of us than her… she knocked down the bullshit before it even began, or had a chance to spread. We were blessed to have her.

Bash was still in contact with his mother, secretly, every now and again. Diane supported us but didn't let Henry know that. Love was blind, and she loved Henry too much to let him know she'd been sending us money in the beginning to get by. Henry and Catherine had divorced during the year right before Francis' trial. He'd then asked Diane to marry him. She refused, but they were still together. I would never understand their relationship.

Isobel came and knocked on the door. "It's time," she said with Annie waddling in to the room.

I bent down and picked up the little girl. "Are you ready to see Aunt Mary get married to Uncle Bash?" She just reached for my earrings but I pulled by head back so she couldn't, laughing as I did. I put Annie on my hip and Isobel escorted me out. Our officiant—we opted not to get an Elvis impersonator—was standing at the front of the chapel with Bash, who looked so handsome in his suit. I smiled as I held on to Annie and Isobel escorted me down the aisle.

.

- _BASH -_

Today was the first day of the rest of my life. After eighteen long months, I randomly asked Mary to marry me. We were doing things our way. After the success of my book—soon to be book-turned-movie—and Mary finding a career she could be happy with, we were ready for this. All we needed was each other, and Isobel and Annie, who were the only two constants in our life since the day we stood up to our parents and lost everything. But even as we lost everything, we gained a lot in return.

I stood at the front of Graceland Chapel, our own little room where we would be getting married. The license was ready to be signed. All we had to do was say our vows. I smiled when I saw the door open and Mary come through on the arm of Isobel, our witness, and holding Annie in her arms. We were our own weird little family, but we wouldn't have it any other way.

When they reached the front of the chapel, I took Mary's hand after Isobel took Annie from her. I assumed Annie was the substitute for the bouquet. It was actually kind of cute.

"We are gathered here today to join Mary Elizabeth Stuart and Sebastian James Granger in Holy matrimony."

"Actually," I said, "I'm changing my name." The officiant seemed surprised. "My last name is going to be Poitiers." I decided to take my mother's last name. It was already my pen name that I'd published under, so why not change it for real?

He nodded. "Very well… Mary Elizabeth Stuart and Sebastian James Poitiers. For the record, will your witness please state her name."

Isobel said, "Isobel Durand. And Annie." She kissed the side of Annie's head. Mary and I smiled.

"Mary and Sebastian, you have come here today to become one in the eyes of God. Turn to one another, join hands, and repeat after when I instruct. Sebastian, you'll be first. 'I, Sebastian, take you, Mary, to be my wife for richer or poorer, in good times and bad, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others as long as we both shall live.'"

I repeated his words, my heart pounding, and the biggest smile on my face. "I, Sebastian, take you, Mary, to be my wife for richer or poorer, in good times and bad, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others as long as we both shall live."

"Mary, repeat after me. 'I, Mary, take you, Sebastian, to be my husband for richer or poorer, in good times and bad, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others as long as we both shall live.'"

She did. "I, Mary, take you, Sebastian, to be my husband for richer or poorer, in good times and bad, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others as long as we both shall live." She squeezed my hands in hers.

The officiant blessed our rings, which Isobel had, and we exchanged them. He then said, "By the powers vested in me by the great state of Nevada, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Sebastian, you may kiss your bride."

I leaned in to kiss her and she threw her arms around my neck. I smiled into our kiss and picked her up, spinning around once before I put her back down. "I love you," I said.

"And _I_ love _you_," she told me.

"May I present," the officiant started, "for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Sebastian and Mary Poitiers."

Isobel clapped for us and we went to hug her. We thanked our officiant, and left the chapel, now husband and wife. Isobel said, "Well you two have fun on your honeymoon, wherever you're going."

"Oh we're not going anywhere," I said. "We're staying right here in Las Vegas. I asked Hef if we could borrow the Sky Villa at the Palms."

She shook her head. "Well don't destroy it. I don't need you two sued." We both laughed. After our final goodbyes, Isobel left with Annie and we took a limo back to the hotel.

On the ride there, Mary said, "I have something to tell you."

"Oh yeah, what's that?" I asked, a little suspicious and intrigued.

Mary took my hand and put it on her belly. "You can't feel it yet… but there's a baby in there."

My face brightened. "Really?"

She nodded. "I took a pregnancy test this morning. Seven of them actually." I laughed. "They were all positive."

I kissed her hard, wrapping her in my arms. She straddled herself in my lap, despite the degree of difficulty from her dress, and held onto me tightly. When the kiss broke, I said, "We're going to have a baby."

Mary smiled. "Yeah… we're going to have a baby. And we're going to be a family."

...

A/N: There you have it! Our journey has come to an end! It's been such a thrill writing this story and completing it in just under a month for your reading pleasure. If you go to my profile, you can find Bash's suit and Mary's dress for this chapter. I'll be starting a new fic soon... it's a Titanic themed AU, inspired by Carol ( geekxgirl & TorranceCdotcom on Twitter) and I'm really excited about it so be on the look out. (Add me as one of your fave authors too!) Let me know what you though of the story as a whole. What do you think Mary and Bash eventually had - a boy or a girl? I want to hear your predictions! I left it this way so you could imagine your own Mash baby. Also, my Tumblr url has changed, so follow me at 'maryqueenofbash' there!

Thank you all so much for reading and taking this journey with me! Hopefully I'll see you over in the next fic! -heart- xoxo :]


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